Disney Employees Must Return to Office Four Days a Week, Bob Iger Says

[el_super]

With the reduction in available space, there is no way they can scale up to have all CMs work from the office 4 days a week in less than 2 months.

Probably not. They had previously asked people to come in three days a week, and they are still barely getting one day from some teams. Real estate (esp for Disneyland) was at a premium prior to the pandemic, and would be again now if they tried to bring everyone back.

There is a big disconnect here between middle managers. I'm sure some of the older (read: higher up) managers, with the threat of layoffs looming, have been asked to start assessing productivity and value and simply cannot understand any metric or standard by which to judge people working from home. It's backwards and outdated.

To date though, Disney hasn't implemented any formal requirement to be in the office (for hybrid workers that is). They can ask that teams come in more days a week, but if they don't, will they actually go thru with terminating people? Probably not. This could just as easily be a way of gauging how strongly the teams want to stay remote so they can start shedding real estate.

 

[Lilofan]

Well, they can always transfer to the Parks division and sell churros and Dole Whips...

And leave their cold AC offices and sweat it out on Main Street?

 

[Kamikaze]

Are you saying there is lack of available space in buildings that can be rented ? I find that hard to believe.

No. I said what I said. Yes, they can purchase or rent or move back into spaces that are closed, but there is no way that's happening in less than two months. There are other considerations besides simply having a building. The infrastructure also needs to exist. They need desks, offices, etc. If you closed a building that was previously housing half of your workers, you can't fit them quickly into a building that can only handle the other half.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I'm sure there are some ulterior motives here, but I'm also sure that the reason he gave is also true. If I'm collaborating with a co-worker on a piece of art, then we have to be together in the same room for large parts of that effort.

Also, if part of the team needs to come to the office, then it's probably best for ALL of the team to have to come to the office.

Yes, they all have to work in person to get the placement of the screens and the water tower at Tiana JUST RIGHT…

 

[Lilofan]

No. I said what I said. Yes, they can purchase or rent or move back into spaces that are closed, but there is no way that's happening in less than two months. There are other considerations besides simply having a building. The infrastructure also needs to exist. They need desks, offices, etc. If you closed a building that was previously housing half of your workers, you can't fit them quickly into a building that can only handle the other half.

Iger set the directive. As Walt said “ It’s kind of fun to do the impossible “.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

And introduce additional staffing issues when white collar CMs start jumping ship.

Lol if you have trouble showing up at work 4x a week then there’s an issue

 

[fgmnt]

Sounds like they don’t want to show up to work anyways

Im certain plenty of people can do their jobs that don’t require 4 days of hour-long one-way commutes to Burbank. Let the free market work.

 

[Trauma]

Im certain plenty of people can do their jobs that don’t require 4 days of hour-long one-way commutes to Burbank. Let the free market work.

Doesn’t seem like Iger agrees with you.

 

[danlb_2000]

Disney Employees Must Return to Office Four Days a Week, Bob Iger Says

In a memo sent on Monday, the Disney CEO wrote: "in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together."

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I myself am a fully remote worker and kinda am conflicted. As a programmer, I can do my entire job remotely. So I wonder how this applies to software development.

I manage a team of software developers and have found that a balance of remote and in office days has worked the best. I only require my employees to be in the office one day a week, some do more by choice. For a lot of roles I think requiring 4 days is a little excessive. I think the problem you run into is some companies is that they want to have a blanket set of rules that applies to everyone so you don't get employees complaining about why some people are treated different then others. "Why do I have to be in the office 4 days a week, when Dave only has to be in 2 days a week".

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Sounds like they don’t want to show up to work anyways

I refuse to believe that you're unaware of the concept of remote work. Do you honestly think doing the same job from your home (which, in most cases, has shown to increase productivity) is somehow equivalent to "not wanting to show up to work"? That doesn't even make sense.

 

[mkt]

Sounds like they don’t want to show up to work anyways

No. They want to work. From home.

That's what my wife and I have done. Our productivity and quality of life are up, meanwhile our commuting expenses are dramatically down. It's a win-win for everyone.

Exactly my first thought. Bob wants some people to leave of their own accord. So if they have to start making cuts it won't be Musk or Zuckerberg level headlines. If this wasn't at least part of the reason, wouldn't it be a bit more targeted?

I am sure he also wants some people back in the office. He hinted as much at the town hall. But, obviously the people he wanted back didn't take the hint.

I am 100% certain this is the case, as it is with other large employers who are doing the same thing.

Well, they can always transfer to the Parks division and sell churros and Dole Whips...

Yeah... go from a white collar professional salary and 9-5 schedule to a low-wage unskilled role with an almost 0% chance of office hours. Not happening.
There's plenty of companies that have embraced remote work that will hire these people as they leave Disney at the same or higher salary

 

[MichWolv]

Lol if you have trouble showing up at work 4x a week then there’s an issue

If you believe that working in person does not help you do your job better than you can do it at home, then you should be annoyed at being asked to come in to the office 4 days a week.

 

[fgmnt]

Doesn’t seem like Iger agrees with you.

Do you think Iger goes into the office 4 days a week

 

[mkt]

I manage a team of software developers and have found that a balance of remote and in office days has worked the best. I only require my employees to be in the office one day a week, some do more by choice. For a lot of roles I think requiring 4 days is a little excessive. I think the problem you run into is some companies is that they want to have a blanket set of rules that applies to everyone so you don't get employees complaining about why some people are treated different then others. "Why do I have to be in the office 4 days a week, when Dave only has to be in 2 days a week".

We're at 3 days a week, but with managers discretion to require fewer, and with the ability for directors to reclassify anyone as 100% remote.

Needless to say, my entire team has been reclassified as 100% remote, with the freedom to go into an office as needed.

So we do one week per quarter at the office. And that includes Monday and Friday as travel days.

BTW, 2021 and 2022 were our most profitable years

 

[mkt]

Do you think Iger goes into the office 4 days a week

Not a chance in hell.

 

[fgmnt]

I refuse to believe that you're unaware of the concept of remote work. Do you honestly think doing the same job from your home (which, in most cases, has shown to increase productivity) is somehow equivalent to "not wanting to show up to work"? That doesn't even make sense.

If you’re posting in here at 10 am eastern time, I assume you either work remote, work a shift job that cant be remote, or are farting around in an office on a job that you don’t have to be in an office for.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Lol if you have trouble showing up at work 4x a week then there’s an issue

Another post that seems to imply a complete lack of awareness of remote work. These people are literally already showing up to work 5x a week, just from their homes. Where they're probably more productive without the unnecessary distractions of office culture.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I manage a team of software developers and have found that a balance of remote and in office days has worked the best. I only require my employees to be in the office one day a week, some do more by choice. For a lot of roles I think requiring 4 days is a little excessive. I think the problem you run into is some companies is that they want to have a blanket set of rules that applies to everyone so you don't get employees complaining about why some people are treated different then others. "Why do I have to be in the office 4 days a week, when Dave only has to be in 2 days a week".

The other issue is why do I have to be in the office still making zoom calls to my other coworkers around the globe or at home when I can do the same thing at home myself

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

If you’re posting in here at 10 am eastern time, I assume you either work remote, work a shift job that cant be remote, or are farting around in an office on a job that you don’t have to be in an office for.

Or I have a PTO day today? But, yes, I typically work 100% remote, and I accomplish a hell of a lot more in a day than I ever did when I wasn't. You really got me with that one?

Edit: Reading your other posts in here it seems you're in favor of remote work, so maybe I misunderstood your post? I think we're on the same side here?

 

[MichWolv]

Note that the message is that those working in hybrid arrangements will be asked to come in 4 days a week. Those people are, from what I have heard, generally coming in 2-3 days a week now, although it varies. Iger's note does not say that those who are have been designated as fully remote will be asked now to come in. And there are, at least in certain functions, a substantive number of people that are working fully remote. It is my understanding that will not change.