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

[tanc]

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.

 

[mkt]

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.

The reason for this is pretty simple. To naturally increase attrition professional roles and reduce benefits they have to pay out if AND when they do layoffs later this year due to the shaky economy.

 

[Trauma]

Four whole days a week? What type of craziness is this!!

This will help get rid of some problems.

 

[mkt]

Four whole days a week? What type of craziness is this!!

This will help get rid of some problems.

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

 

[Trauma]

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

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

 

[Tom P.]

What Disney does or does not do with their workers in this regard doesn't really affect me. But I think in most cases, the idea of remote work as the norm is detrimental. Now, of course, there are exceptions. There are certain jobs that lend themselves well to remote work and certain people who thrive when working remotely. But on the whole, I think there is a real, strong value to having a group of employees assembled in the same workplace, even if their jobs could ostensibly be done independent from one another.

That said, with regards to Disney specifically, I'm sure that there's more at play here than just thinking it's "better" for employees to be at work in person. It will be interesting to see how employees react to this. I imagine there's more than one frontline parks cast member, though, who's been working in person since the height of Covid and is thinking, "it's about time!"

 

[JoeCamel]

What Disney does or does not do with their workers in this regard doesn't really affect me. But I think in most cases, the idea of remote work as the norm is detrimental. Now, of course, there are exceptions. There are certain jobs that lend themselves well to remote work and certain people who thrive when working remotely. But on the whole, I think there is a real, strong value to having a group of employees assembled in the same workplace, even if their jobs could ostensibly be done independent from one another.

That said, with regards to Disney specifically, I'm sure that there's more at play here than just thinking it's "better" for employees to be at work in person. It will be interesting to see how employees react to this. I imagine there's more than one frontline parks cast member, though, who's been working in person since the height of Covid and is thinking, "it's about time!"

I do think there is more to this message than just wanting to get the mouse's moneys worth, it also says the company needs all hands to pull together now to face the coming storm and we need to team up. Or at least Bob thinks it means that as the astute judge of economics and human behavior that he regards himself as (I love attributing acts and thoughts to him that I have no idea if true or not, better than a sharp stick in the eye I guess.....)

 

[Lilofan]

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.

If one can work remotely then a company can think your role can be done in India at a cheaper labor rate.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I'm going to make an assumption here... based on this announcement, Disney's IT dept is about to lose some good talent and become even worse. The remote job market with high salary options is pretty ripe in the IT world since covid

 

[esskay]

Yeah sorry but as a software dev I'd be gone quicker than you can shout figment if my employer tried to make me go back to an office. Productivity shot through the roof with remote working in our industry. Our place is fortunate enough to have a 'come to the office or stay at home, dont care as long as the job is done' view of things.

 

[Kamikaze]

Some divisions of TWDC have closed and placed for sale or rent buildings that they weren't using based on the current number of daily employees/CMs. Those CMs were given the option to work from the office or home, but they had to commit to the same number of in-office days per week, meaning if they wanted to work in office two days, it always had to be two days.

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.

 

[HauntedPirate]

If one can work remotely then a company can think your role can be done in India at a cheaper labor rate.

As someone who has worked in IT for over 25 years and has dealt with the results of outsourcing to India, this is completely untrue.

 

[NotCalledBob]

The reason for this is pretty simple. To naturally increase attrition professional roles and reduce benefits they have to pay out if AND when they do layoffs later this year due to the shaky economy.

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.

 

[Lilofan]

As someone who has worked in IT for over 25 years and has dealt with the results of outsourcing to India, this is completely untrue.

Not true , my previous employer outsourced IT to India to save on labor costs. Anytime I had issues with my PC I called the help desk and the teams based in India 24/7 were professional and fixed the issues.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Making a remote work policy move to try and entice people to leave on their own rather than retain them. Slick Bobby is back, baby! (Edit: had to fix a typo)

 

[Lilofan]

Making a remove work policy move to try and entice people to leave on their own rather than retain them. Slick Bobby is back, baby!

It is a way to get some to quit not replace them and put more workload on existing team. Nothing new here.

 

[Lilofan]

Some divisions of TWDC have closed and placed for sale or rent buildings that they weren't using based on the current number of daily employees/CMs. Those CMs were given the option to work from the office or home, but they had to commit to the same number of in-office days per week, meaning if they wanted to work in office two days, it always had to be two days.

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.

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

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

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.

 

[jpeden]

People throughout the pandemic have failed to realize that companies will not keep large-scale real estate assets on their books while allowing employees to work remotely. There are no buyers for those types of assets right now, so you either have to be willing to eat the loss on the building or call your employees back into work.

It was fun while it lasted but people need to buckle up because WFH is not going to be the "new normal" like everyone thought it would be.

 

[larryz]

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

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