Back to the office is always an excuse for fairly indiscriminate downsizing. If they find you indispensable, they'll just make an exception for you.

For others, there's the buyout. They're telling you to do something you don't want to do, and at the same time telling you they'll pay you not to do it (and quit.)

It's a merger, they promised to do this. No matter what fake antitrust settlements and judges said. They're already deeply in the hole valuation-wise, they aren't going to be able to downsize their way out of it. It's the least they can do.

I'm actually curious if the plan is to have it take out a bunch of loans, strip the thing of assets, and dump it.