Bob Bakish, CEO of ViacomCBS, said the company expects its U.S. employees will not be able to return to their offices until after July 4th weekend at the earliest.
With the virus withdrawal and the rise in vaccines, companies have begun setting a schedule for personal restart. In a memo to staff on Thursday, Bakish called this an “initial phase of our return” and said it will take at least a few months and it will be “limited, optional and entirely voluntary.”
The company will continue to operate under strict safety criteria, including testing, mandatory mask wear, and social distancing.
. reported earlier today that WarnerMedia employees were informed in early September that a slow return is being considered for their offices worldwide.
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Read the full Bakish memo:
Team,
This month has been a year since most of us started working in unprecedented ways due to COVID-19, joining those on our international teams who have already been affected by this pandemic. Much of us have worked from home full-time while many of you have had to reinvent your roles to ensure our productions continue safely and our systems run smoothly.
I am so grateful that this company has navigated through all of these changes. They have adjusted to the effects of a historic merger while addressing the plight of a global pandemic, including the devastating loss of loved ones and friends. They have come together to master professional and personal challenges with resilience, adaptability, agility and optimism. Thanks to your efforts, our business continues to thrive, as demonstrated by the monumental launch of Paramount + last week – a remarkable achievement, especially given the circumstances.
Not only are we making progress on our business goals, we’re making progress in planning our return to office. We will continue to monitor developments closely as conditions improve and work with medical experts to develop a comprehensive plan that will make your health and safety a priority. The dates for return to the office differ from market to market based on local conditions and may take place at different times in some international locations. Based on forecasts of current vaccination and infection rates, among other things, we are now assuming that US employees will have the option to return to our offices after the 4th weekend in July at the earliest.
• This first phase of our return – which is expected to take at least a few months – will be limited, optional and entirely voluntary. We anticipate that we will continue to operate under strict safety criteria, including testing, mandatory wearing of masks and social distancing.
• Our current plan is to first limit the capacity in our buildings to maintain social distance and manage elevator capacity. We will gradually increase capacity based on a careful review of health data and our test systems.
• In the coming weeks we will provide another update on the registration process and additional information.
• This planning fits in with our broader efforts to evolve our workplace over the long term, including transitioning for all to return after the gradual volunteer phase in a hybrid, completely remote or completely on-site work model.
I know that last year was not easy and that the current momentum remains challenging for everyone. But you continue to show up for each other during this difficult time even as you juggle the demands of work and home, including your responsibilities as parents, caregivers, partners, and family members. Please remember to take time out to rest and recharge your batteries and do your part in promoting a culture of empathy, patience, and flexibility.
I also encourage you to consult our resources to improve your work-life balance. Today, I’m excited to bring you our Guide to Maintaining Remote Work, which provides tips and advice on overcoming common remote work challenges, including how to deal with “zoom fatigue,” setting healthy boundaries and advance your career and personal development. We will continue to share similar tools and make them available in the ViacomCBS Brand and Resource Center.
We’ll be holding a BOB LIVE town hall next month to discuss all of these updates (and more) and as always, I look forward to this opportunity to hear from you and answer your questions. In the meantime, let’s keep building our momentum and be there for one another. You are doing an incredible job – it really seems to be through – so thank you very much for all the time and energy you have put into this company, our brands and our organization.
Best,
bob
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