Paramount Skydance has introduced Phase 2 of its return-to-office (RTO) plan, extending the mandate to employees in US offices outside New York and Los Angeles. According to a report by Business Insider, the employees in these locations have already started working five days a week in-office since January, but beginning September 14, workers in other regions will also be asked to return full-time.
Along with tis, some remote employees who don’t live near a Paramount office will also be expected to relocate and work in-person starting 2027.
Paramount told managers to ‘sell’ the change to staff
As per the BI report, in order to ease the resistance, Paramount has distributed an “RTO People Leader Toolkit” advising managers to encourage bonding through coffee outings, lunches, or team-building activities. The toolkit shared with the managers also suggests using Microsoft Copilot to create ideas for team-building exercises.
“Strong relationships build trust, help people feel part of a community, and enhance well-being,” the document states.Managers who encounter resistance to RTO should help their team bond by inviting them “out for a coffee or lunch, or hold a team-building activity,” Paramount said in an “RTO People Leader Toolkit” obtained by Business Insider.
Paramount to keep track of the attendance
The company made clear that attendance will be tracked and noncompliance could lead to disciplinary action, including dismissal.
Managers are tasked with ensuring their teams meet the full-time requirement, though initially they won’t have access to attendance data. One manager told Business Insider the responsibility felt “daunting,” adding, “I don’t want to be a hall monitor on top of all the work we already have to do.
”CEO David Ellison has emphasised that in-person work is central to building a “next gen media and entertainment company.”
Paramount argues that office presence fosters collaboration and innovation, even as rivals adopt more flexible models.Paramount’s stance is among the strictest in media. NBCUniversal and Disney require four days in-office, Warner Bros. Discovery mandates three, and Netflix continues to allow remote work. Paramount’s full-time requirement sets it apart, underscoring its belief that physical presence is essential to its long-term strategy.
