600 Paramount Skydance employees quit instead of returning to the office, and it cost the company $185 million, filings show

David Ellison, in front of a purple background, puts both hands in front of himself as if measuring something. (Credit: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg—Getty Images)

Hundreds of Paramount Skydance employees decided they’d rather find a new workplace than go back to the office five days a week.

In September, following the long-stalled $8 billion merger of the two media juggernauts, CEO David Ellison told employees in a companywide email they would be required to return to working in-person five days a week or take a buyout, part of a series of efficiency changes to “unlock Paramount’s full potential,” according to the memo, as reported by Fox News.