Strategic HR
Return to office or resign: Paramount CEO issues ultimatum before mass layoffs
Paramount CEO David Ellison mandates full return-to-office, offering buyouts for non-compliant staff, as the company prepares 2,000–3,000 layoffs post-merger.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has issued a strict return-to-office mandate, asking employees to work from the office five days a week—or consider leaving the company.
According to reports, employees based in New York and Los Angeles who cannot comply must resign by September 15.
Paramount is offering a severance opt-in program for those unwilling to return full-time, open from this week until September 15. Employees outside these two cities will receive updated guidelines in 2026.
Staff in production roles that require overseeing telecasts from remote venues may be exempt from the daily office requirement.
Ellison emphasized that in-person collaboration is crucial for Paramount’s creative culture.
“Some of the most formative moments of my life happened in rooms where I was a fly on the wall, listening and learning. I’ve never seen that happen on Zoom,” he wrote in an email to staff, as reported by Fortune.
The mandate comes as Paramount prepares for large-scale layoffs following Skydance Media’s $8.4 billion merger with the company. Between 2,000 and 3,000 employees—out of a total 18,600—are expected to lose their jobs in November as part of a $2 billion cost-cutting plan.
Topics
Author
Loading...
Loading...