A return to full-time in-person work or severance pay, it’s time for many Paramount employees to pick their poison. Just weeks after reports of upcoming layoffs, Paramount’s new full-time RTO mandate has set worker sentiments ablaze. Starting January 5, 2026, workers at the newly merged Paramount Skydance company will have to return to in-person work permanently. Paramount’s 5-day return-to-office mandate also comes with a buyout offer, giving employees the option of quitting its forces voluntarily.
The Paramount full-time RTO mandate comes with a buyout option for employees who don’t want to comply, just ahead of planned layoffs. (Image: Pexels)
Paramount Announces a Full-Time RTO Mandate to “Unlock Its Full Potential”
Does Paramount truly believe a permanent return to in-person work will be beneficial for the company, or is this another way to cut costs without additional layoffs? That is the question of the hour. Keeping with trends of multinational corporations demanding employees return to the office full-time, Paramount also released an RTO mandate requiring employees to come into the office to position the business for long-term success.
“These changes are about building a stronger, more connected, and agile organization that can deliver on our goals and compete at the highest level. We have a lot to accomplish and we’re moving fast,” CEO David Ellison told employees. “We need to all be rowing in the same direction. And especially when you’re dealing with a creative business like ours, that begins with being together in person.”
How Will Employees Be Affected by the RTO Mandate?
Employees at the company’s Los Angeles and New York offices will be the first to comply with Paramount’s 5-day return policy starting January 5, 2026. Employees assigned to other locations or operating internationally will also have to comply as part of the second phase of the policy’s enforcement.
Only staff who are required at out-of-office venues to oversee telecasts may see an exemption from having to show up at the office every day, according to Variety. However, their tasks already take them out of opportunities to work remotely from home.
Paramount’s Severance Offer to Employees Who Don’t Want to Comply
Employees will be required to sit primly at their desks five days of the week starting in January next year, but it’s unclear how many will remain at the company to keep with the new RTO policy.
Paramount’s full-time RTO mandate also gives employees who can’t find their way to work an easy way out of having to do so. Those who do not want to comply can choose to accept a buyout offer before September 15. The brief period to make a decision adds pressure on employees to rush to either comply or quit, which appears to be the goal of the approach.
While Ellison’s RTO memo did not detail the terms of the severance offer for employees who wish to accept the buyout, it is likely to include a minimum of a few weeks of pay and other additional benefits.
Is Paramount’s 5-Day Mandate a Way to Force Employees to Quit?
On the surface of things, Paramount’s full-time RTO policy appears to be a genuine attempt to urge employees to collaborate face-to-face and allow their creativity to bolster the business. Drawing from his own experience, CEO Ellison spoke about how his formative years included learning by attending industry-defining conversations in person.
“I’ve never seen that happen on Zoom. Being together in-person isn’t just about showing up – it’s about actively engaging with the business, supporting one another and the team’s efforts, and contributing to our shared momentum,” he said as an explanation for Paramount’s 5-day mandate.
However, despite the urgency showcased, many suspect that the return to full-time onsite work at Paramount is an attempt to push more workers out of the organization. The company is hoping to cut $2 billion in costs, and it has already announced plans to lay off employees by November to meet this target. Additional cuts require additional effort to pick out employees who should leave, but policies that give workers a sense of agency are seen as a way to soften the blow by many.
Is a Return to In-Person Work the Ultimate Path to Productivity?
There are innumerable advantages to working in person, from building better relationships with colleagues to separating your work from your personal life. The push away from remote work to a hybrid model is something that both employers and employees have agreed on. The change to full-time in-person work, however, is an employer-motivated move.
While it does allow for more surveillance of employee activity during working hours, it does brush aside employee preferences for an ulterior cause. For the most part, employees are unlikely to quit in large numbers due to the state of the job market, which means that Paramount may see many unhappy faces walking through the doors every day. Despite the desire for increased collaboration, sullen employees may not be as willing to volunteer their ideas and solutions.
Finding the right balance between remote and in-person work can be beneficial for organizations that are truly committed to driving efficiency and building a cohesive workforce that operates at their full potential every day.
Does Paramount’s full-time RTO policy make sense in the modern world, or are we witnessing another company make an erroneous move that hurts its bottom line? Share your thoughts with us. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights on workplace trends, layoffs, and what to expect with the advent of AI.