Dell Calls Sales Team Back To Office 5 Days Per Week
In a memo posted to Reddit (then covered by Business Insider, The Register, and more), Dell sales leadership called the sales team back into the office for five days per week with just three days’ notice. According to the Reddit poster, the memo went out of September 26 and the mandate starts on September 30.
Here is everything you need to know about Dell’s return to office plan: the current policy, the timeline of delays, and sentiment from Dell employees and leadership about how work will be done at the company.
Dell’s Return To Office: Current Policy
- Return To Office Date: April 5, 2024
- Location Policy: Hybrid (most of the org) + Office First (sales team)
- Office Visit Expectations:
- Hybrid-eligible workers: 39 days per quarter (3 days/week) for hybrid workers
- Sales team: Five days per week
- Remote workers: 0 days (but also not eligible for promotion or internal job change)
Dell’s RTO Timeline
September 7, 2021: Dell re-opens offices without a set policy (Dell’s first return to office policy)
“Dell Technologies Inc. announced June 30 in an internal memo that the company would reopen its U.S. offices on Sept. 7.”
September 7, 2022: Dell declares there will be no official return to the office
Michael Dell said, “Ultimately, we have committed to allow team members around the globe to choose the work style that best fits their lifestyle – whether that is remote or in an office or a blend of the two.”
May 9. 2023: Dell implements a return-to-office policy (hybrid, 3 days/week)
‘This is the beginning of us more clearly defining hybrid work for our company. We look forward to those near an office coming in at least three days a week as soon as you can arrange it,’ Dell Technologies Vice Chairman and Co-Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke writes.”
April 5, 2024: Dell declares 39 days/quarter for hybrid employees and restrictions for remote employees (Dell’s current policy)
“Hybrid workers must agree to come into an “approved” office at least 39 days each quarter. This is roughly the equivalent of three days per week. Remote workers do not have to come into an approved office at all. However, remote workers aren’t eligible for promotion or to change jobs within the company.”
June 19, 2024: Dell workers ignore the new policy
“Close to 50% of Dell’s full-time workers in the US have opted to stay remote, according to internal data on the entire full-time workforce seen by Business Insider.”
September 30, 2024: The sales team gets called into the office with three days’ notice
“With that in mind, starting Monday, Sept. 30th, the expectation is that ALL Global Sales team members who can work from a Dell office be onsite five days a week, regardless of role. Field sellers who can’t go into a Dell office should prioritize time spent in person with customers and partners. Remote sales team members who an’t go into a Dell office should continue to work remotely. More communications pertaining to remote workers will be sent in the coming weeks.”
Sentiment From Dell Leadership
On Remote Work
Michael Dell, 2022: “At Dell, we found no meaningful differences for team members working remotely or office-based even before the pandemic forced everyone home.”
On Hybrid Work
Jeff Clarke (Vice Chair, COO), 2023: “As soon as possible, we’d like more people to work in a hybrid model,” said Clarke. “Those living within about an hour commute to a major Dell office should come onsite at least three days a week. We’re still flexible – work with your leader to determine schedules within this framework that work best for you and the business.”
On Office-Based Work
2024: Dell did not answer specific questions from BI regarding the data, but said it believes “in-person connections paired with a flexible approach are critical to drive innovation and value differentiation.”
View All Return To Office Plans For The Fortune 100
Every month, we update every Fortune 100 company’s return-to-office policy. You can view the data below.
RTO news & sentiment by company: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Bank Of America, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo |
