According to a new report by Business Insider, Dell has announced a significant policy change that will impact its remote workforce.
Starting in May, fully remote Dell employees will no longer be eligible for promotion within the company. Employees are said to have told the publication that their remote setups had enabled them to adjust to other life factors. The flexibility had cut them some slack to perform better.
The company’s change of heart marks a departure from its previous stance on remote work; CEO Michael Dell himself had previously been an advocate.
Dell fights against WFHers
In 2022, the company’s CEO stated: “At Dell, we found no meaningful differences for team members working remotely or office-based even before the pandemic forced everyone home.”
Under the new policy, workers will fall into one of two remote-style categories: purely remote, which means that they will no longer be considered for career advancement opportunities, and hybrid, whereby workers will be required to be in the office at least three days per week.
In a memo obtained by Business Insider, Dell emphasized the importance of in-person connections and hinted at the necessity for remote workers to transition to hybrid roles.
Michael Dell previously told followers on LinkedIn, “If you are counting on forced hours spent in a traditional office to create collaboration and provide a feeling of belonging within your organization, you’re doing it wrong.”
Employees speaking anonymously to Business Insider expressed frustration and concern over the new policy, fearing job insecurity and the impact of increased office hours on work-life balance, with many workers living hours away from an office location.
While Dell may not be the only company implementing such drastic measures – Apple, Google, Microsoft, and more have also been pushing office-based working since the pandemic – it does at least highlight an ongoing and seemingly unsettled debate about the future of remote work and the effectiveness of working from an office.
TechRadar Pro has asked Dell to confirm the report.