Disney enforces a rule that can cost remote employees their jobs | Louis Velazquez - Official Website, Entrepreneur, Finance, Technology

Walt Disney is doubling down on enforcing a strict requirement for its remote employees that could put their jobs at risk if they don’t follow it.

During the Covid pandemic, Disney permitted corporate staffers to start working remotely to help slow the spread of the virus.

By March 2023, then-Disney CEO Bob Iger began requiring employees to return to working from corporate offices four days a week, but with some exceptions for tech team members. In an internal memo announcing the change, which was unveiled in a CNBC report, Iger emphasized that in-person collaboration is crucial.

“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,” said Iger.

Disney scales back in-office policy exceptions

Since then, Disney has decided to shift gears. The entertainment giant is now expanding its in-office mandate, requiring more corporate employees to work in the office four days a week, according to a new Business Insider report.

On Sept. 14, Disney reportedly informed some remote product and tech employees, who had previously been exempt from the in-office mandate, that they are now required to comply with it.

The company is also now threatening to fire employees who fail to work in the office four days a week. Before this change, Disney had allegedly been laissez-faire about enforcing the rule. Some managers would strictly monitor if employees were following it, while others were more relaxed about it.

According to Business Insider, Disney’s latest move is intended to reinforce its existing in-office policy, rather than signal a change in strategy.

Disney’s decision to expand its in-office mandate comes after Josh D’Amaro became CEO of the company in March, replacing Iger, who held the position for nearly 18 years across two separate tenures.

Shortly after stepping into the role, D’Amaro laid off roughly 1,000 employees in April. In a memo sent to employees announcing the job cuts, which Variety reported, he mentioned that he aims to “streamline” the company’s operations.

“Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney,” said D’Amaro in the memo.

“Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs,” he continued.

Disney is reducing remote work by ramping up its enforcement of its in-office policy.

Jesse Grant / Getty Images

Disney isn’t the only company reducing remote work

Disney’s in-office policy update also follows the lead of other large U.S. companies, some of which have enforced stricter return-to-office mandates.

For instance, in March 2025, Dell began requiring employees who live within an hour of an office to return to in-person work five days a week, a move it claims will help the company keep up with the fast pace of tech innovation.

However, its enforcement of the policy wasn’t very smooth as it later had to crack down on employees who reportedly ignored the mandate.

That same month, J.P. Morgan Chase also rolled out a return-to-office mandate requiring employees to work in the office five days a week.

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The updated rule, however, sparked backlash from employees, with some even launching a petition demanding that the banking giant restore its previous hybrid work policy, which allowed them to work from the office three or four days a week.

In January 2025, AT&T also enforced a return-to-office policy, mandating corporate employees to work in the office five days a week to improve collaboration and innovation.

It even went so far as to use a tracking system to monitor employees’ in-office attendance. The company later scaled back its use of the system in September that year after employees expressed concerns about its accuracy.

Many companies nationwide already have plans to reduce remote work this year. According to a survey from ResumeBuilder.com, one in eight companies plan to increase the number of required days in the office in 2026, while three in 10 won’t allow remote work.

Reasons behind reducing remote work include strengthening company culture, boosting productivity, maximizing office space use and encouraging workers to quit.

“If hiring slows or layoffs rise in 2026, strict RTO (return to office) policies may clash with broader labor market trends,” said Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder.com, in a statement. “Employees may comply short-term, but resentment and turnover will rise once the market rebounds.”