Skydance is offering voluntary buyouts to eligible employees following its merger with Warner Bros Discovery, part of a broader effort to integrate the two companies that will also require workers to return to their offices five days a week.
The changes were outlined in an internal memo distributed to employees and signed by Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Krei, who described the measures as necessary to build a more unified media and entertainment company.
Under the voluntary buyout program, eligible employees will receive individualized offers outlining the financial terms and conditions of their departure. Workers will have a designated period to review the offers and decide whether to accept them.
The company did not disclose how many employees would qualify for the buyouts, the amount of compensation being offered or when the program would begin.
“As we bring our teams together, we recognize that not everyone will see their future here, and we respect that,” the memorandum said. “To give eligible employees the option to move on in a way that works for them, we are introducing a Voluntary Buyout (VBO) Program.”
The memo described the buyouts as a one-time opportunity and directed employees to review their individual offers carefully before making a decision. Separately, Skydance said it will adopt a five-day, in-office work policy across the company, requiring employees to work from their assigned offices throughout the traditional workweek.
The policy will be introduced in phases depending on location, with employees receiving advance notice before the changes take effect.
“While many of you are already in the office five days a week, we understand this may be a significant change to the daily routines of others,” the memo said.
Management said the return-to-office requirement is intended to encourage collaboration between employees who previously worked for separate companies.
“We’ve seen the benefits firsthand at Paramount, and we want every part of Skydance to share in them,” the executives wrote.
The changes come as Skydance works to combine its operations with those of Warner Bros Discovery, bringing together employees from businesses with different corporate structures, workplace policies and management practices.
The deal, which closed earlier this month, brings WBD properties like Cartoon Network, CNN, TNT Sports, Animal Planety, Discovery Channel, HBO Max and Discovery Plus under common ownership with Paramount’s CBS, Showtime, Paramount Plus, Pluto TV, BET, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and TV Land, among other assets.
