As Skydance integrates Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery after the $111 billion takeover closed Oct. 6, CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz are preparing employees for workforce changes. Their Oct. 26 memo announced a one-time voluntary buyout program for eligible staff, who will receive individual terms and a limited period to decide. The executives said they respect that some employees may not want to remain with the combined company. They had already warned that integration would involve difficult decisions affecting workers, but have not disclosed the scale or timing of planned layoffs.
The company is also imposing a five-day-per-week office policy across Skydance, introduced in phases by location with advance notice and support for employees adjusting their routines. Ellison and Kreiz argue that in-person work strengthens collaboration, company culture and creative problem-solving, and say the policy reflects benefits seen at Paramount. They describe the broader goal as building a globally scaled, technology-focused entertainment company able to compete for audience attention. Skydance is targeting more than $6 billion in annualized cost savings within three years, with job cuts expected to contribute. A Los Angeles County report estimated the merger could eliminate about 4,500 film and television jobs in the county over three years.
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