Thread regarding Paramount Global layoffs

@vx very interesting. everyone i worked with in streaming was full remote. not saying you're wrong, just saying that a very big chunk of streaming was full remote, and all LTI contractors were either full remote or working out of an LTI office (not a paramount one).

wasn't just my team, everyone i worked with cross functionally was remote, every PM i worked with was remote and a large reason people were joining the company was because we worked full remote. i will give initials here since we're not allowed to name people by name, but i believe everyone under JD (one of the VPs) was full remote.

now, i was a SWE and i know ops etc. were hybrid, so technically not everyone in streaming was remote. but i'm just speaking from what i know, which is swe / engineering.

@qn As someone who's worked with streaming for the better part of the last five years, I can confirm that plenty of streaming employees were required to report to an office hybrid post pandemic from March 2022 until December 2025, and then were converted to full time onsite January 2026. Your team's experience wasn't universal. Assuming otherwise is pretty uninformed.

@nw I think the “final buyout” they are referring to is the VBO. This is separate from the RTO offer but you’re right, it is essentially severance. I am pretty confident that if/when remote workers are required to come into the office they would be given the RTO offer/option in case they want to move closer to an office.

Anyone out of state or not near an office is on borrowed time, they have way too many people in the offices they have already

@qa oh interesting. i guess i was in streaming, so that's probably why. we were all hired as full remote. wasn't aware that anyone was required to go into office back then

Paramount was NOT fully remote "from the pandemic until Jan 2026". The company first started bringing teams back to the office in March 2022. It was different for every division. My team (Advertising) was 2-3 days per week for most of that time until being mandated 5 days a week starting in Jan 2026. Also, not all teams in New York got the VBO a second time around. Mine did, but other teams on my floor didn't.

@mw but this is their “final” buyout offer so whenever they communicate that remote needs to move or leave … i’m guessing they just would get severance which is the same as the buyout? But seems less like that would be less of an official “choice”

@hz this is my fear. Because folks already going into local offices 5 days a week also got the email. I’m genuinely confused now

@k8 paramount was full remote from the pandemic to jan 2026, which is one month before i left the company

@kc They could easily do that without repercussion, but it is more likely they would at least give those people an opportunity to move closer to an office.

@k8 The poster you are responding to meant that when we were initially offered the RTO buyout A YEAR AGO most of us were fully remote. So one would naturally expect more people to take advantage of that than WB which just got the same offer, but are already back in the office 3x per week

Would they be allowed legally to lay off everyone at paramount who was part 2/remote (without firm exceptions) that had been told they were ok through end of 2026 and “tbd” after that point?

@et Paramount was not full remote. We were forced back into an office 5 days a week starting in January of 2026 but employees who were hired fully remote or do not have an office nearby were clustered into a "Phase 2" of RTO and told to continue working remotely until the end of 2026, when they would then tell us what they were going to do with us.

@j8 they want you to quit.

@a5 I'm a fully remote Paramount employee, I reached out to HR to get more clarity on what the future may look like. I don't want to opt out and then be 'forced' to return to an office that is nowhere near my home. Of course, there response was vague -No change to remote status, if that changes in 2027 we will communicate. Gee Thanks!!! I really don't know what to do!

Seems weird to have RTO to foster collaboration domestically but then give exception to large teams on the other side of the world. Seems weird to layoff and offer buyouts to all your US workforce to get rid of as many as possible while maintaining your cheaper foreign workforce 🤔

@hz Seems to be based on territories, not all countries were offered the VBO.

Is RTO even coupled with VBO? I heard people who are already going to office 5 days a week, also got the VBO email.
Is there any department or team who didn’t get the VBO at this point or is it company wide ?

There’s a local CBS affiliate office near me that’s sitting almost empty. Maybe look for one near you.

@cx there will likely be less attrition since WB is already 3 days in office. paramount was full remote, with many located nowhere near an office.

There is no office in Puerto Rico.

@b9 This is 100% true but the question remains; what makes this attempt any different? Is it calculated risk that the increased headcount from WBD and AI will let them weather the attrition?

@a6 unless you've been at the company for many years, your severance is likely garbage. the package last time was 2 weeks per year served with a minimum of 4 weeks, or something along those lines.

the reason RTO failed last time was because in order to do in office mandates, they would have had to pay out relocation packages to people that they couldn't afford. not to mention, half of their engineering team in streaming would have quit (and they probably lost 50% of their good employees in the process).

i myself left and doubled my compensation, and i imagine others could do the same.

There is no timeline for remote workers return date. It's listed in the integration FAQ.

@aa nah, downvoted for being a shill trying to convince people to take a buyout when there is literally no incentive for them to do so.

They are going to go nuclear this time around. Take whatever offer you can get, the party hasn’t even started yet from what I’ve been hearing. You’ve been warned.

@a6 downvoted for saying the truth.

@a8 the only way that’s a good idea is if you rather go on unemployment. The buyout will be a better deal than the severance you get from getting fired. For some this may not be an easy decision

@a6 stop scaring people. If Skydance was serious they would’ve cut the folks who haven’t fulfilled the 5-day mandate already.

Don’t take the buyout if it’s related to the 5 day mandate.

Even after last Sep 2025 there are still a lot of remote workers in the US and they are still hiring remote workers. Also if you take the VBO you are not eligible for unemployment when the severance it gone since it is a voluntary exit

For those thinking it’s going to be the same as last time, think again. The company is in an entirely new position. The last time their concern was buying WB. They didn’t pay too much attention to employees. They got WB. Now their number one priority is cost cutting. They WANT you to quit. It’s much better for them for you not to take the buyout then not show up to work. That is grounds for termination. No need for an extended severance. If you are remote and can’t get to an office TAKE THE BUYOUT.

It sounds like Paramount employees who are considered remote, are still exempt from RTO. If RTO applies to you, then you should be getting another email later today.

Half of Paramount employees still don’t come in 5 days of week and there were no repercussions. If 5 days is a concern, don’t take the buyout because Skydance won’t do anything about it. Just use the excuses everyone else is using. “Sick, traveling for work, road closures, etc”

If you stay then start packing to move by an office to report to

I don’t know.

But there was a similar RTO announcement + voluntary severance option last year. IIRC, it was around Sep/Oct. RTO (5 days/week) was set to begin first week of January.

So, maybe similar?