Memo from Disney CEO Bob Iger outlines the next phase in Disney's employee return-to-office plans

Jan 09, 2023 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Walt Disney Company headquarters in Burbank, California

Posted: Monday January 9, 2023 2:30pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Bob Iger has written to Disney employees, advising them that remote workers will soon be asked to return to the office for four days per week.

Many of Disney's office staff are working from home

Beginning March 1 2023, employees currently working in a hybrid fashion will be asked to spend four days a week on-site, Monday through Thursday.

Bob Iger is asking staff to return to the office for 4 days a week

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of Disney's office-based staff began remote work from home. The return to office has been a gradual process, with remote workers starting a three-day in-person work week throughout 2021.

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FullSailDanJan 11, 2023

As COO, I am the management. My teams do not work the hours I do, but they also dont have as much equity in the company and I'm well compensated for my time. Probably more than I should be.

Andrew CJan 10, 2023

If they are annoyed, they can speak to their direct supervisor or HR to get a better understanding of the decision being made. And hey, maybe they can even come prepared with a business case as to why they should be allowed to continue to work remotely. What is best for them may not be what is best for the team, the department, the company, or their customers. I know...give and take can be hard.

412Jan 10, 2023

Professionals generally feel annoyed when asked to do things that don't make sense. After working remotely for nearly 3 years, many professionals know that working in an office four days a week does not make sense for them. It wastes their time (commuting), is worse for their health (office sickness, microwaved meals, eating out) and makes them less productive (office noise, useless small talk, harder to focus). Of course, Disney management can issue edicts as they please. But, as you stated, many employees will "GTFO" and choose to work somewhere that respects and trusts them to work in the ways that they work best. That's not good for Disney.

Andrew CJan 10, 2023

New slogan..."Remote work is a human right, not a privilege"

Andrew CJan 10, 2023

Nor should it be a hard concept to grasp that a company may want their employees in office. For Disney, the change to remote was temporary due to the pandemic. There is nothing insulting about them wanting to end the temporary setup. They have been slowly going that direction over time with the previous 3-day requirement. If someone doesn't like going back to the office as was intended, they can really just GTFO and find another job where their specific needs will be met.

SirwalterraleighJan 10, 2023

I don’t want an employer that says “we have to watch you to make sure you’re working” …nor do I want an employee with the slightest possibility of actually needing that …that’s what this all boils down to. He should stayed quiet. The memo was stupid. This is implying the stock is down because of remote work and there is a 0% chance that’s the case at all. Shoulda stayed retired, Bob…you were gonna pay for bad decisions for 10 years and quitting like a coward regardless…best to do it in retirement

412Jan 10, 2023

It certainly can be. Employees often leave jobs when they don’t feel respected by management. I guess if you’re a low-skill employee with no options, you may swallow some insulting management behavior. But most Disney professionals have other options and would rather work somewhere that respects them. I don’t think it’s a hard concept to grasp.

SirwalterraleighJan 10, 2023

Oh…the poor employers… They need respect!! The 357:1 pay gap just only goes so far. You see the tree on this…but miss the forest. And I’ve learned never to question anyone’s understanding of “hard work” from the 412

HakunamatataJan 10, 2023

Its insulting to do a job the way an employer wants you to do a job. We have come a long way.

SirwalterraleighJan 10, 2023

I could if it had any validity Saying remote kills creatively for mostly non-creative technical staff makes zero sense. I think this has nothing to do with Disney. This is “market forces”. Others have said this is recent weeks and it doesn’t align with an entertainment company who THINKS it’s a financial company

LilofanJan 10, 2023

I can see this is coming from Iger but don’t you think his exec team maybe pushing him to get the word out to make this happen?

SirwalterraleighJan 10, 2023

It’s been so long since we had a good old fashioned “if you don’t like it…quit!” Did your cousin tell you that? I had hope that died with Covid. A creativity void - because he caused it - company run by Iger that’s bleeding money from its seams needs the workers more than they need him

SirwalterraleighJan 10, 2023

I take a very good opinion…from someone who is a Vp at a major American company (we also used to have bunk beds 😎) who assures me that remote is more productive when you accept this one principle: Good workers are good in either scenario…so are bad workers. It’s a 1:1 correlation. So what they have found these last 3 years is that remote workers are better at home…unless they should have been fired in the first place. Harsh realities, but something of an obvious universal truth. So it doesn’t apply universally depending on what the job requires…but it shakes out all things being somewhat equal.