Employees at Skydance, the company created by the merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, face a major career decision. Staff were told this week that they must soon work fully in person, Business Insider reported. Anyone unwilling to make the switch can leave with a severance package, which puts the newly combined media group’s workforce on a tight clock.
A Buyout With a Firm Deadline
Workers who prefer not to commute five days a week can take a standard exit package of two weeks’ severance for every year they have worked at Paramount or Warner Bros. Discovery, according to two people familiar with the offer who spoke to Business Insider. The deadline to decide is 8 p.m. PT on Nov. 8, which leaves employees less than two weeks to weigh their options.
The change hits former Warner Bros. Discovery staff hardest. They had been required to be in the office at least three days a week, so the new rule adds two more on-site days. Paramount employees assigned to an office have already been working there five days weekly since earlier this year, making the shift far smaller for them.
No Second Chance on the Offer
In an email to staff, Skydance’s HR team acknowledged that as teams are brought together, not everyone will see a future at the company. It described the buyout as a one-time offer and said no additional programs are planned. That leaves little room for employees hoping to wait for a better deal.
The mandate shows how David Ellison’s Skydance intends to run the merged company as it blends two long-established studios. For employees, the choice is between the stability of a job with a full-time office requirement and the flexibility they may give up by staying.