As remote work has become a standard practice for many white-collar employees, many employers remain resistant to this trend, including Dell, which has opted for stringent mandates and punitive measures to compel employees to return to the office.
Dell's Stricter Mandates to Lure Workers Back on Site
Dell introduced its return-to-office (RTO) policy in February. Under this policy, employees are required to officially categorize themselves as either hybrid or remote. Remote workers forfeit eligibility for promotions or role changes, while hybrid employees are mandated to be in the office for 39 days per quarter, approximately three days per week, with attendance tracked using a color-coded system.
Despite being implemented for several months, Dell's RTO policy has shown limited success. According to internal data reported by Business Insider, only 50% of Dell's full-time workers have chosen to remain remote. Unless they agree to change their classification, these workers are now ineligible for promotion.
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Dell did not respond to specific inquiries from BI regarding the data but emphasized its belief that in-person collaborations paired with a flexible approach are crucial for fostering innovation and distinguishing value.
What Workers Think of This RTO Fiasco?
Eleven employees from sales, tech support, engineering, and HR departments who requested anonymity shared with BI why they decided on remote work despite the potential impact on career advancement:
WFH Benefits are Too Good to Give Up
One Dell employee has found significant personal growth from working remotely since 2020 and is reluctant to give it up. Working from home during the pandemic allowed them to spend more time with family, pursue hobbies, and socialize outside of work. They argued that returning to the office would reduce their time, money, and personal space for these activities despite being able to perform their job just as effectively from home.
Another employee expressed concern about the financial impact of returning to the office, mentioning that commuting costs and meal expenses would strain their budget with the current salary.
No Real Benefit in Going to The Office
Some Dell employees indicated they had to classify themselves as remote due to the closure of nearby offices or impractical commuting distances.
Some employees residing near offices also found commuting unnecessary because their teams were dispersed across different states and time zones, arguing that their current roles did not require a cohesive team physically present in one location.
Another employee, whose work is global, emphasized the importance of schedule flexibility, stating that splitting time between going to a Dell office and coming home to attend remote meetings with colleagues in distant time zones doesn't make sense.
These employees expressed concerns over HR's apparent lack of response regarding how the policy affected team dynamics and how offices where colleagues opted for hybrid work appeared nearly empty. During a company town hall, questions arose about the rationale behind the policy, with COO Jeff Clark reportedly discussing the benefits of office work in facilitating knowledge sharing among staff.
Mandates are Just Meaningless Threats
Several senior employees conveyed to BI that they had already reached their limit in terms of promotion at Dell, as no further advancement opportunities were available unless they opted for management roles.
A junior employee also observed that promotion prospects had been limited in recent years, irrespective of the policy changes. Several individuals might have been dissuaded from continuing remote work out of concern for potential promotion risks. However, they viewed this threat as meaningless and had no promotion opportunities.
Multiple employees also informed BI they were planning to leave the company because of Dell's new working policies. One employee noted that every mother she spoke with at Dell actively sought other jobs due to the need for remote work. Another employee expressed their intention to leave when they found a new opportunity, noting that almost everyone they knew at Dell, except junior employees, shared similar plans. Before the fiasco in Dell's working policies, the employee stated that they had never considered looking for another job elsewhere, expressing that feeling like a second-class citizen has severely limited their career opportunities.
