Dell Technologies employees return to office, end remote, hybrid work

This story has been updated to add video.

Round Rock-based Dell Technologies is ending remote and hybrid work, expecting all employees who live within roughly an hour of its offices to be at their desks five days a week, Business Insider reported Tuesday morning.

The mandate begins March 3, and the company is retiring its hybrid policy effective that day.

“We are building a new Dell Technologies for a new future,” Dell told staff in a memo obtained by Business Insider. “The pace of innovation has never been faster, and for us to lead, the speed of our business must continue to accelerate. What we’re finding is that for all the technology in the world, nothing is faster than the speed of human interaction. A thirty second conversation can replace an email back-and-forth that goes on for hours or even days.”

According to the memo from CEO Michael Dell obtained by Business Insider, employees who live far from a Dell office will be allowed to continue working remotely, however, an internal FAQ reportedly said remote workers will not be eligible for promotion through the company’s annual pay planning process without approval from three of the company’s most senior leaders.

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The company reportedly wrote in the FAQ that “all future roles will be hired at a specific Dell office and will no longer be offered as remote. “

Dell Technologies has not yet responded to email requests for comment about returning to the office and how this will affect its Round Rock- and Austin-based employees.

Other companies, such as Amazon, AT&T and JPMorgan, have reversed their stances on remote work and now expect employees to work in the office full time.

The demand to return to work comes as President Donald Trump signed an executive mandating return to offices on his first day in office last week.

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Dell sent a memo in September informing its entire global sales team they’d be required to work in the office full time. A month prior, the company outlined a plan to redistribute its sales staff and emphasize artificial intelligence innovations, making the decision to downsize its sales staff and some managerial positions.

Other teams — manufacturing teams, engineers, on-site team members and leaders — have already returned to the office full time, according to the memo. Dell asked its workforce to classify as either remote or hybrid last year. At that time, Business Insider reported that 50% of Dell’s full-time U.S. workers chose to stay remote initially.

Dell’s memo this week asked employees to hold their questions or concerns while the company finalizes plans to return to the office.

“We continually evolve our business to deliver the best value and service to our customers and partners. I’m excited for us to have more in-person connections to drive speed, market leadership, and an even stronger culture,” the CEO said in the memo. “I look forward to seeing many more of you in the office.”

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