Skydance mandates five-day office return and offers employee buyouts
Skydance is trending after co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz announced a mandatory five-day in-office work week for all employees. To accommodate those unwilling to return to the office, the company is offering a one-time voluntary buyout program.
What happened
- Earlier this month
Skydance completed a $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery [3].
- Monday, Oct 26, 2026
Company leadership announced the five-day in-office mandate and the Voluntary Buyout (VBO) Program [1], [2], [3].
- Nov 8, 2026, 11 p.m. ET
Deadline for eligible employees to decide if they will accept the severance package [1].
What you need to know
The buyout generally offers two weeks of severance for every year of service at WBD or Paramount [1].
The return-to-office transition will be phased in based on location, specifically in London, Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles [3].
The company aims for at least $2 billion in cost savings to help manage a debt load of nearly $90 billion [3].
It is not confirmed if any exceptions will be made to the five-day in-person requirement [1].
Background
Skydance was formed through the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery [1]. Prior to this mandate, Paramount staff already worked five days in person, while WBD employees worked at least three [1], [3].
The company is currently navigating high interest rates and significant debt following its recent acquisition [3].
Questions people ask
Who is eligible for the buyout?
Eligible employees will receive individual communications with their specific terms and personalized details [3].
Why is Skydance implementing this policy?
Leadership believes in-person collaboration is essential for company culture and business success [2], [3].
Where this came from
[2] status.news
Ellison’s CBS-CNN Split-Screen
Preview image from status.news
[3] deadline.com
Skydance Offers Voluntary Buyouts, Moves To Five-Day In-Office Policy Across Company
Preview image from deadline.com
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