Disney asks employees to return to office four days a week

CEO Robert A Iger has asked employees to return to corporate offices four days a week starting March 1.

The days of hybrid working for global mass media firm Disney’s employees are done — they’ve been asked to come back to the office. The decision was taken by CEO Robert A Iger, who returned to the job after the sudden exit of his successor Bob Chapek.

According to a CNBC report, in an internal mail, Iger has asked employees to return to corporate offices four days a week starting March 1.

“As I’ve been meeting with teams throughout the company over the past few months, I’ve been reminded of the tremendous value in being together with the people you work with,” the mail read.

“As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney. And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that come from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors,” it added.

The development comes amid a much softer approach by global companies, which continue to operate in a hybrid model, mandating only two or three days of office work per week.

Meanwhile, in India, companies are moving cautiously on a return to office after the Union health ministry said earlier that the next 40 days would be crucial, and that the country could see a rise in Covid cases this month.

Moneycontrol had reported earlier that companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, IBM, Mercedes-Benz India, and PwC are implementing a hybrid work model as they prepare to bring employees back to the office. In fact, 30-40 percent of KPMG employees in India are already working from the office.

Most of Lenovo India’s employees — over 60 percent — have opted for hybrid working. TCS said 25 percent of its associates work from the office at least two days a week.

PwC India has shifted to hybrid working and doesn’t expect people to punch in at a certain time. As of now, it is seeing over 50 percent physical attendance at offices, including client offices.