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Dell expands RTO mandate, requiring all employees to be in-office five days a week

An internal memo states that employees will be required to return to office beginning March 3

UPDATE: Following a mandate last year that required Dell’s sales to team to return to the office to be considered for career advancement, the technology company is now expanding its RTO policy to the rest of its employees. Dell surprised the industry last year by reversing its stance on remote work with a new mandate that required sales employees be present in the office at least 39 days per quarter to be eligible for promotions or department changes. Months later, reportedly only 50% of its affected employees opted to return to the office, with others continuing to work remotely or seeking new jobs elsewhere.

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Business Insider has reported that a new internal memo has been sent out to Dell’s workforce from CEO and Chairman Michael Dell, telling all employees that if they live within an hour of a Dell office, they will be expected to be in-office five days a week.

“What we’re finding is that for all the technology in the world, nothing is faster than the speed of human interaction,” reads the memo, according to Business Insider. “A thirty-second conversation can replace an email back-and-forth that goes on for hours or even days.”

The memo from Dell states that the new policy will go into effect beginning March 3.

 

The following was originally published October 1st, 2024: 

Earlier this year, Dell made waves by announcing that in order to be able to be considered for promotions or other forms of career advancement, employees would need to begin coming into the office at least 39 days per quarter. Months later, it was reported that only around 50% of employees followed through, with a high number of workers opting to remain working remotely, or even searching for another job altogether. Now, the company is doubling down, sending a memo to staff announcing that its sales team would be required to report in-office five days a week. Up until now, expectations of the sales team has fallen in line with the rest of the company, requiring only three days a week in-office.

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The memo, signed by Bill Scannell, President, Global Sales & Customer Operations, and John Byrne, President, Sales, Global Regions, Dell Tech Select, says that “remote sales team members” would be exempt from this change, but that “more communications pertaining to remote workers will be sent in the coming weeks.” Most surprising about this announcement the lack of prep time it gave employees, with the memo being sent out last Thursday, with the change coming into effect yesterday, giving employees less than a week to make necessary arrangements.

A representative from Dell has since confirmed the policy change to The Register, stating, “We continually evolve our business so we’re set up to deliver the best innovation, value and service to our customers and partners. That includes more in-person connection to drive market leadership.”

 

The following was originally published June 24, 2024: 

It’s been nearly two months since reports emerged that Dell would be tracking its employees attendance records after it made a controversial shift in its remote working policy. Earlier this year, Dell made headlines by mandating that employees that wished to be considered for promotions or department changes would need to begin returning to the office at least 39 days per quarter. Previously, the company had been at the forefront of the hybrid workforce, allowing and encouraging many employees to work remote.

It’s now looking like Dell’s mandate has backfired, with Business Insider reporting that nearly half of employees opted to remain remote, even if it meant giving up career advancement opportunities. Some Dell employees spoke with Business Insider, and, when asked why they made the decision to remain remote, answers varied. Some employees admitted that coworkers that returned to the office complained about working from nearly-empty workplaces, while others noted that they chiefly worked with teams in other areas, so that most of their work would still consist of videocalls. While several employees simply admitted that they weren’t interested in career advancement, many stated that they were actively pursuing positions with other companies that don’t have a return-to-office mandate.

The following was originally published May 9, 2024: 

Dell made headlines earlier this year when it was revealed that it would be reversing its long-standing stance on remote work. While Dell employees had been able to work remotely for the last decade, Business Insider reported that a policy change will mean only hybrid employees would be eligible for promotions or position changes. To be considered a “hybrid onsite” worker, an employee would have to be at the office a minimum of 39 days per quarter. Now, reports are coming out about the lengths Dell is going to to ensure that employees return to office.

As reported by The Register, Dell will begin tracking its employees’ office use on May 13th, and grading them based on how much they are coming in. This grading will reportedly be done by tracking employees’ badge swipes to enter the office, as well as how frequently they connect to the office’s VPN. Grading will allegedly be carried out via a color coding system consisting of blue, green, yellow, and red. Blue represents the “consistent” end of the spectrum, whereas employees graded red are deemed to use the office in a “limited” capacity.

“This is likely in response to the official numbers about how many of our staff members chose to remain remote after the RTO mandate,” a Dell employee told The Register.

 

The following was originally published March 26, 2024: 

Like most tech organizations, Dell made a company-wide pivot to remote work during the pandemic. The company has since gone on record to tout the efficiency of fully-remote employees, fighting back against the misconception that an on-site presence was necessary for productivity and collaboration. It would seem Dell was a champion for remote workers everywhere, with CEO Michael Dell remarking in 2022, “At Dell, we found no meaningful differences for team members working remotely or office-based even before the pandemic forced everyone home.”

It has come as a surprise to employees, then, that Dell has seemingly reversed its strong stance on remote work, with team members learning this month that if they wish to have opportunities in career advancement, including promotions or position changes, they will have to start coming in to the office.

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The company sent a memo to employees which reads in part, “For remote team members, it is important to understand the trade-offs: Career advancement, including applying to new roles in the company, will require a team member to reclassify as hybrid onsite,” as reported by Business Insider.

Dell has since clarified to Ars Technica that “hybrid onsite” workers are required to be at the office a minimum of 39 days per quarter. Unsurprisingly, this sudden policy change has not been popular with employees, with one anonymously remarking to Business Insider, “We’re being forced into a position where either we’re going to be staying as the low man on the totem pole, first on the chopping block when it comes to workforce reduction, or we can be hybrid and go in multiple days a week, which really affects a lot of us.”

 

 

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