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.”
