Backlash on Authorization to Revoke Fuels Culture Clash Controversy After Discovery-WarnerMedia Merger

On April 26, Deadline published a story titled, “Warner Bros. Discovery has requested that you return to the office as soon as possible.” The four-paragraph post was fueled by rumors that I heard WarnerMedia employees were excited about the memo they had previously received from Adria Alpert Rome, Discovery’s head of people and culture at Warner Bros. Inform employees that they must be in the office at least three times a week until June 1, and that they can enter the hybrid program by going to the office at least twice a week in May.

What happened next was rather unusual. The story was an unofficial referendum on Discovery’s new regime, which took over after a $43 billion merger with the WarnerMedia joint venture, which closed on April 8. Document, United Warner Bros. It has been read nearly 42,500 times, which is more than the collaborative effort of the Discovery team. feelings about back-to-work assignment and what policy says about a changing culture. Famous media company.

Twelve days later, the debate continues, with more than 120 commentary and news stories popping up daily amid the massive post-merger excitement and widespread speculation about cuts across various WarnerMedia episodes, from ad-supported entertainment networks to HBO Max and NewLine. Because WBD aims to save 3 billion dollars.

There are few supporters of the new three-day-a-week policy at Discovery, which has been in effect since last fall, but most are categorically protesting the post, and what makes it so is threatening to leave it. It’s a test for new leadership trying to capture the hearts and minds of WarnerMedia employees.

Several WarnerMedia employees, Warner Bros. Targeting Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s remarks at a town hall meeting with WM employees on April 14, “Be with us,” he signaled that the MoU was coming soon and I’d let them go. Shocked, confused but mostly angry.”

“It’s a pretty big cutoff to ask for patience before WBD knows what to do and say ‘we don’t care about anything but what we want from you’ 2 weeks later,” one person said. “It’s an unsuitable start for our association,” he added.

Some employees argued that WarnerMedia’s previous regime conducted a survey during a pandemic, with most employees asking about the flexibility they received, while others argued that they joined the company because they were confident they could work for the past two years.

“There are more Warner Media employees in the US than Discovery employees, but our voices don’t matter,” one wrote.

Several people claim that the entire team, including some engineering departments, plans to leave if a hybrid program is implemented, which is uncomfortable for the newly merged company. Warline Bros.’s deadline remains the plan for now, requiring all offices to be open at least three times a week starting June 1. Discovery representative.

While new management may want to reconsider how employees work in the office before making the decision to lay off, many find the irony in enforcing the return-to-work instruction before the anticipated layoff.

One person asked, “Why is Discovery asking us to change our lives, change our work patterns, and go back to the office when so many of us are laid off?” he asked. “People can be released first, and in a few weeks only those left behind can come back. Just salt in the wound.”

Although it covers a variety of topics, the commentary series focuses on the clash of two cultures, namely conflict.

One of the comments that got a great response: “From an employee who has worked at Warner for over 20 years… It looks like McDonald’s has bought a Michelin-starred restaurant and thinks it knows how to run it.”

“Get ready for a destroyed culture,” warned one person who described himself as an employee of Scripps Networks, which was acquired by Discovery four years ago.

Many WarnerMedia employees have prior experience adapting to a different corporate culture after AT&T acquired the company. In his first public statements after his merger at City Hall, Zaslav promised that the merging of cultures would take place regarding WarnerMedia’s employees, who accounted for approximately 74% of the merged company.

“So we have to come together now as a culture, a culture that starts with people who are protected, people who feel valued for who they are, because number one, you can’t be creative,” he said. “(You) can’t be effective if you’re not comfortable.”