Paramount Skydance says 600 employees took severance and quit instead of returning to the office

Core Insights - Paramount's CEO David Ellison mandated a return to the office five days a week, leading to approximately 600 employees opting for severance packages [1][2][3] - The severance packages cost Paramount $185 million in the last quarter, categorized under "restructuring charges" to align the business with strategic priorities post-merger [3] - The company has also laid off 1,000 employees in October as part of its restructuring efforts [8] - Further workforce reductions are anticipated, with plans to divest non-core international businesses, potentially affecting an additional 1,600 employees by early 2026 [9] Company Actions - Paramount offered severance to employees at the VP level or lower who refused to comply with the in-office work requirement [2] - The company had a total workforce of approximately 18,600 at the end of 2024 [2] - Ellison emphasized the importance of in-person collaboration for company culture and business success [3] Industry Context - The trend of returning to the office (RTO) is prevalent across various companies, including AT&T and Amazon, indicating a broader industry shift [9] - NBCUniversal has also implemented a similar RTO policy, requiring employees to work in person four days a week [10]