Some employers are offering reluctant RTO employees severance packages instead - but they come with a catch

"So much for the Great Resignation and quiet quitting - it's no longer an employee's market. And that's being reflected in return-to-office (RTO) policies and severance packages. Many companies started offering flexible work arrangements, including remote and hybrid options, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. But now, many of these same companies are issuing RTO orders. And if workers don't like it, they can leave."

"Companies like Amazon, Paramount, AT&T, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan have all enforced an RTO mandate. Microsoft - one of Big Tech's last holdouts for return to work - is now mandating at least three days a week in the office [1]. NBCUniversal has also jumped on the RTO bandwagon, but there's a catch: The severance package is a universal, one-size-fits-all payout. It does not give employees any additional money based on their years of service [2]."

"Earlier in September, NBCUniversal notified its U.S. and U.K. employees that come 2026, they must return to the office four days a week - with the option to work remotely on Friday [3]. NBCUniversal employees who don't want to return to the office can take a flat-rate severance package of eight weeks' salary and three months' healthcare coverage. This is different from typical severance, which is tied to your years of service and the position you held."

Employers that offered remote and hybrid work during the pandemic are increasingly enforcing return-to-office mandates. Large companies including Amazon, Paramount, AT&T, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Microsoft now require regular in-office attendance. NBCUniversal announced a four-day office requirement beginning in 2026 and offered employees who opt out a flat severance of eight weeks' salary plus three months' healthcare. That severance is universal and not tied to years of service or position, unlike typical severance practices. No federal or state law requires employers to provide severance. Some companies have issued ultimatums to return to specific locations or resign.

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