A little more than a month after rejoining the Disney ship, CEO Bob Iger has started to crack down on the hybrid mode of working in the company. Iger in a memo has told the remote workers that they will be required to work in the office at least four days a week, beginning 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,” said Iger in the memo accessed by CNBC.
“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 comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.”
The 71-year-old executive had hinted at culling the remote work culture when he said ‘not-working-from-office’ had a negative effect.
“I worry long term about the negative impact on people who have decided not to spend as much time at the office. I’m going to spend a lot of time here, and I hope that it’s not lonely.”
While most big companies such as Apple, Tesla, Snap are reverting to work-from-office policy, they have kept the rules lenient – allowing workers to come to the office twice or thrice a week.
However, Iger’s decision is relatively strict and aimed at increasing the efficiency pf the company which has seen its shares plunge almost 40 per cent in the last 12 months.
Notably, Iger returned to Dinsey in November last year after the board decided to ditch his successor Bob Chapek.
“We thank Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic,” said Susan Arnold, the board chairman whilst announcing the decision.
“The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the company through this pivotal period.”
Immediately after taking over the company, Iger made it clear that storytelling will remain at the forefront of Disney’s growth story.
“I fundamentally believe that storytelling is what fuels this company, and it belongs at the center of how we organise our businesses. This is a moment of great change and opportunity for our company as we begin our second century.”
Bob Iger stepped down in 2020 after being Disney’s CEO for 15 years. Under his watch, the company grew leaps and bounds, creating a legacy which has taken a rather substantial hit in the last year or two.
(With inputs from agencies)
