Some employers are giving RTO workers the option to take a severance package instead - but there's a major catch. Would you take it anyway?

"How a universal severance package works 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. For example, you might get two weeks' pay for every year of service, meaning the longer you've been with the company, the more generous the payout. But there is no federal or state legislation that requires companies to offer severance."

"Raj Namboothiry, head of staffing firm Manpower's US division, told Business Insider that if employers start downgrading severance to one-size-fits-all or none-at-all, workers will see no advantage to staying at a company for more than a few years - and that could cost employers a lot in turnover. But for now, companies like NBCUniversal and Amazon are playing hardball in an employer's market."

Some employers are imposing return-to-office mandates paired with a uniform severance offer for employees who opt out. NBCUniversal told U.S. and U.K. staff they must return four days a week in 2026, with Friday optional remote work, and offered a flat severance of eight weeks' pay plus three months' healthcare to those who decline. Typical severance is usually tied to years of service and position, often calculated as weeks' pay per year of service. No federal or state law requires companies to offer severance. Amazon required workers at specific operation centers to return or resign without severance. Raj Namboothiry warned that downgrading severance to one-size-fits-all or none could reduce incentives for long tenure and increase turnover, while weak job gains and rising unemployment are creating an employer-favored market as many workers resist full-time returns.

Read at Moneywise