Paramount Global has instructed its US-based employees outside of New York and Los Angeles to return to the office full-time from 14 September, as part of a new phase of its return-to-office (RTO) strategy. The mandate, communicated to staff on Thursday, represents a significant tightening of the company's hybrid work policy.
Employees at the company's New York and Los Angeles offices have already been required to work in-person five days a week since January. Furthermore, the company has announced that some fully remote employees who do not live near a Paramount office will be expected to begin commuting to a workplace starting in 2027.
Managers tasked with enforcing mandate and fostering culture
To support the transition, Paramount has provided managers with an "RTO People Leader Toolkit," which includes guidance on addressing staff resistance. The document, obtained by Business Insider, suggests that managers invite teams "out for a coffee or lunch, or hold a team-building activity" to build stronger bonds.
The toolkit explicitly recommends using artificial intelligence for ideas, stating: "You can also prompt Microsoft Copilot: give me examples of team-building activities." Paramount asserts that "strong relationships build trust, help people feel part of a community, and enhance well-being."
Strict compliance tracking and disciplinary measures
Paramount has stated it will monitor adherence to the RTO policy, with managers bearing responsibility for ensuring their teams meet the requirement. In a separate FAQ document, the company warned that failure to comply "will lead to discipline up to and including dismissal."
The toolkit provides managers with specific questions to check in with employees and identify potential noncompliance. However, the document notes that managers will not initially have access to official attendance data, though this information will be provided to them at a later date.
One Paramount manager expressed concern to Business Insider about the added burden, saying, "I don't want to be a hall monitor on top of all the work we already have to do," and described the tracking responsibility as "daunting."
CEO's vision and industry context
The push for in-person work is framed as central to CEO David Ellison's vision of building a "next gen media and entertainment company." Paramount's mandate is among the strictest in the media sector, where most competitors have adopted hybrid models.
NBCUniversal requires staff in the office four days a week, a policy mirrored by The Walt Disney Company. Employees at Warner Bros. Discovery—which Paramount is in the process of acquiring—commute three days a week, while Netflix maintains a more flexible remote work policy.