1000’s of Disney employees are reportedly pushing back on their boss Bob Iger’s strict return-to-office plan – arguing in a petition that the four-day-per-week requirement could have “unintended consequences” for the corporate.
The petition has already drawn signatures from greater than 2,300 corporate employees across the Mouse House’s businesses, including ABC, Pixar, Marvel Studios and others. Iger’s mandate is about to take effect on March 1.
The disgruntled employees say the mandate is “prone to have unintended consequences that cause long-term harm to the corporate” by forcing out “hard-to-replace talent and vulnerable communities,” in response to a replica of the petition obtained by the Washington Post.
“This policy will slow, and even reverse, our post-COVID recovery and growth by creating critical resource shortages and causing irreplaceable institutional knowledge loss,” the petition adds.
Disney’s return-to-office plan – certainly one of the strictest of its kind within the entertainment media sector – comes as Iger attempts to steer a turnaround on the struggling company. Prior to the change, employees were expected to work on site for just two or three days per week.
Bob Iger returned as Disney CEO in late November.REUTERS
Organizers reportedly submitted the petition to upper management alongside a whole bunch of testimonials from employees affected by the policy change – with some claiming they plan to resign if Iger follows through on its implementation. Others say they feel as if the policy will effectively force them to depart.
Lots of the testimonials were submitted by employees who’re parents or who described themselves as “neurodivergent” and affected by conditions comparable to dyslexia, attention-deficit disorder or autism, in response to the Washington Post.
The employees want Iger to speculate in distant work support for Disney’s workforce while concurrently fostering a piece culture through in-person events and networking opportunities.
Disney wants corporate staffers back within the office 4 days per week.AP
“Flexibility at Disney really felt like a fresh start,” the petition added. “Now it looks like we’re moving backwards.”
The Post has reached out to Disney for comment on the petition.
Iger first unveiled plans for a four-day-per-week requirement in January, just weeks after he returned for an additional stint as Disney CEO.
Bob Iger argued in-person work is critical to Disney’s revival.Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The Disney boss argued that in-person collaboration is mandatory for the corporate’s revival.
“As you’ve heard me say over and over, creativity is the center and soul of who we’re and what we do at Disney,” Iger said. “And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the power to attach, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the chance to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.”
