Dell compels remote workers to return to the office

Dell has announced a return to office (RTO) policy that will reclassify most of its workforce as hybrid workers required to work out of a company office at least three days a week.

The Register first reported the change in policy, which follows a prior shift last year when Dell required staff living within an hour’s commute of an office to comply with the same minimum attendance requirements. The most recent change will affect those living farther away, who will need to choose between longer commutes, relocation, or consequences at work.

Dell will give some workers below a “certain pay grade” the choice to continue working from home at the cost of “career advancement opportunities,” The Register reported. Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Google, and other tech firms have all announced RTO policies with varying degrees of enforcement and consequences for noncompliance; IBM recently informed managers to work out of offices three days a week or face termination.

In 2020, Dell had committed to work from home policies that would allow 60% of its workforce to only attend in person once or twice a week. At the time, COO Jeff Clarke said that “after all of this investment” in technological upgrades, the majority of Dell’s employees would continue working remotely or hybrid.

In a statement to IT Brew, Dell’s media relations team confirmed the policy change, saying it was “critical to drive innovation and value differentiation.”

“Team members in hybrid roles will be onsite at a Dell Technologies office at least 39 days per quarter (on average 3 days a week),” the statement read.

Research on the productivity effects of remote work has reached differing conclusions. For many IT teams, widespread working from home has meant increased workloads and technical challenges. Polls have shown the vast majority of workers who can perform their roles from home would prefer to do so, however, and the data shows RTO efforts plateaued in 2023.