Paramount Skydance Mandates Full-Time RTO in 2026
David Ellison, CEO of the newly formed merger Paramount Skydance, has announced a full-time return-to-office policy for all U.S.-based employees beginning in January, Business Insider reports.
“In-person collaboration is absolutely vital to building and strengthening our culture and driving the success of our business,” Ellison wrote in a company-wide memo. “We need to all be rowing in the same direction… that begins with being together in person.”
Here’s what you need to know about Paramount Skydance’s return-to-office policy.
Return To Office Policy At Paramount Skydance
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Key Policy Details
- Phase One: All employees assigned to Los Angeles and New York offices must return full-time starting January 5, 2026.
- Severance Program: Those at VP level and below who do not wish to return full-time are eligible for severance if they declare before September 15, 2025.
- Phase Two: Details for remote, international, and other U.S. employees will be announced later in 2026.
This shift puts Paramount Skydance further ahead than media peers:
- Disney requires four days per week in-office
- Warner Bros. Discovery requires three
RTO Timeline & History
Paramount’s previous RTO policy was outlined in its 2021–2022 ESG report.
- “We began a phased return to the office in March of 2022, with hybrid work schedules beginning in April.”
- “Under the plan, approximately 76% of our U.S. workforce will use a hybrid model, 8% will be fully remote, and 16% will be required to work in-office.”
That policy is now being fully replaced with an in-office mandate for the majority of employees.
Context: Merger & Layoffs
The RTO mandate follows the August 2025 merger of Paramount and Skydance. As part of the post-merger integration, the company is aiming for $2 billion in cost savings, following an earlier 3.5% workforce reduction in June.
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