Dell reverses remote work policy, mandates employees to return to the office

Dell is reportedly backtracking on its initial work-from-home (WFH) pledge, with employees being asked to return to the office three days a week. Dell COO Jeff Clarke, who had initially hinted that remote working was an outcome, not a place, said that the move would define what hybrid working means for the company. Workers who live within an hour’s commute of Dell offices will be asked to work from the office on an as soon as you can arrange it basis.

Dell’s latest move marks a return to pre-pandemic normality when employees would typically spend half the week in the office and half remotely. While Dell is not the only company asking workers to return to the office, Amazon’s similar decision earlier this year caused an uproar, while Google has told some workers in its Cloud department to share a desk with a colleague on a two-day-per-week basis.

The move could have repercussions for Dell employees struggling to find childcare or transport arrangements, and the company has said it will work with those with a need for full-time remote work schedules on a case-by-case basis. However, a company spokesperson told TechRadar Pro that flexibility would continue to be a strong differentiator for Dell culture, stating that “we believe the future work experience will be a hybrid one.”

While some companies have announced that remote working is here to stay, others are keen to have their staff back in the office. Microsoft’s recent report showed that remote workers could be productive, but managers were failing to have confidence in them. Whatever the sentiment, Dell is just one of the many companies moving away from remote working as the world begins to adjust to post-pandemic living.