Disney’s newly-returned CEO, Bob Iger, said employees who are currently on a hybrid schedule are asked, “Starting at 1 person will benefit our employees’ creativity, culture and careers.”
“Having met with teams across the organization over the past few months, I have been reminded of the tremendous value of being with the people you work with. 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 company like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect with peers, to observe and create that comes from being physically together, or the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.” the CEO, who returned to the company in November, said in a memo to employees obtained by Deadline.
Iger’s full memo:
Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year! I hope you all found time to rest and regain strength during the holidays.
Since returning to Disney I have been busy educating myself on the many exciting projects going on across all of our businesses and have been inspired by your boundless creativity and the remarkable success of so many of your recent endeavors.
I thought I’d name a few:
For the seventh year in a row, Walt Disney Studios was the top-performing studio at the box office, and last week Avatar: The Way of Water became the seventh-biggest film of all time and its success continues to grow. The Lion King celebrated its 25th anniversary on Broadway in November – one of only three productions in history to achieve this incredible milestone. Disney General Entertainment’s shows received an industry-leading number of year-end “Best of” mentions, including seven of the top 15 most critically acclaimed television shows of the year. Disney Parks, experiences and products ended the year strong as guests celebrated their vacation traditions and rang in the New Year at Disney destinations around the world, and Walt Disney Imagineering marked 70 years of groundbreaking innovation and storytelling. And I’d be remiss not to mention how the ESPN team expertly dealt with Damar Hamlin’s tragic injury, showing grace under pressure and presenting the facts to viewers with the utmost respect and sensitivity. Achievements like this remind me how special our company is.
I also wanted to let you know that as I have met with teams across the organization over the past few months, I have been reminded of the tremendous value of being with the people you work with. 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 company like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect with like-minded people, observe and be creative that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors . I am convinced that personal cooperation will benefit the creativity, culture and careers of our employees.
Beginning March 1, employees currently working hybrid will be asked to spend four days per week onsite, with Monday through Thursday designated as personal work days. Stay tuned for more details.
As we head into a new year, Disney’s historic 100th anniversary, and all of the opportunities that lie ahead, we have so many reasons to look forward to the future. Certainly this is a moment of tremendous change – for our company, for our industry and for the global economy – but despite the challenges, I remain fundamentally an optimist.
Thank you. It’s an honor to work with you.
Preferably,
bob