Dell orders hundreds of employees to go to the office full-time
Dell is stepping up its return-to-office policy as it battles rising costs and employee productivity. Dell is directing its global sales teams to work on-site five days a week unless otherwise interacting with customers or partners.
The shift marks a significant change from Dell’s previous policy and the broader industry standard of three office days per week.
The effects of the policy are likely to be widespread, as Dell has about 120,000 employees, even after mass layoffs that affected about 13,000 employees earlier in 2024, and possibly even more unconfirmed layoffs.
Dell’s RTO policy increases to five days
The full extent of the affected workforce remains unclear; Dell has declined to specify how many employees will be covered by the new mandate.
“The announcement was made to our sales team that we expect them to come into the office or be with customers and partners five days a week,” a company spokesperson said.
“We are continuously developing our business so that we are ready to deliver the best innovation, value and service to our customers and partners. That includes more personal connections to drive market leadership.”
A staff note (via The registry) shared by Bill Scannell, president of global sales and customer operations, and John Byrne, president of sales for global regions at Dell Tech Select, confirmed. “Effective Monday, September 30, ALL global sales team members who can work from a Dell office are expected to be on-site five days a week, regardless of role.”
The two executives reportedly cited internal data showing that sales teams thrive in a collaborative environment.
As is the case with other companies pushing for more office work, resistance is also expected from Dell employees. The company had previously said in March 2024 that remote workers would not be given promotion opportunities, sparking widespread backlash.
Ny Breaking asked Dell to provide more context on its revised RTO policy, including details on the types and numbers of employees who must work in the office five days a week. Any update will be shared here.