Sept 4 (Reuters) - Paramount Skydance ( PSKY ) said on

Thursday it expects all employees to return to the office five

days a week starting in January next year, according to a memo

seen by Reuters.

The return-to-office plan will be carried out in two phases,

Paramount Skydance ( PSKY ) CEO David Ellison said in the memo to

employees.

Ellison had in August said he planned to move the company

onto a single technology platform to reduce costs, and said it

would find efficiencies associated with labor, real estate and

procurement, with the goal of achieving a previously announced

$2 billion in cost savings.

Beginning January 5, employees assigned to Paramount's Los

Angeles and New York offices are expected to work in the office

five days a week. From Thursday to September 15, the company

will offer a severance opt-in program for those who cannot or do

not wish to return full-time.

Paramount will announce plans for employees not assigned to

these locations, international offices and those originally

hired into fully remote roles in the second phase next year.

There will also be a buyout program for the staff.

"I believe that in-person collaboration is absolutely vital

to building and strengthening our culture and driving the

success of our business," Ellison said in the memo.

"We need to all be rowing in the same direction. And

especially when you're dealing with a creative business like

ours, that begins with being together in person."

Staff assigned to production tasks who oversee telecasts

from out-of-office venues may not be expected to be at a regular

headquarters each day, according to Variety, which had earlier

reported the news.

The push comes after a Variety report in August said

Paramount was looking to cut between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs by

early November, following the completion of its merger with

production studio Skydance.

The $8.4 billion merger - announced more than a year ago -

was completed in August, installing new leadership at the media

company.