Dell bars remote workers from promotions, sparking backlash
TEXAS, UNITED STATES — Dell Technologies has ignited an employee backlash with its new return-to-office (RTO) policy that bars fully remote workers from promotions or role changes.
The tech giant is requiring nearly all employees to classify as either “hybrid” or “remote” under the stringent rules implemented in February.
The policy marks a stark reversal for Dell, which has long touted a flexible work culture that allowed widespread remote work even before the pandemic. Since 2018, it has been repeatedly recognized on the “Best Place to Work for Disability Equality Index” for its accommodating policies.
Now, hybrid workers must attend an “approved” office roughly three days per week, while fully remote employees cannot be promoted, according to internal documents seen by the Business Insider.
The memo stated, “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.”
A Resume Builder survey found that remote employees miss out on promotions and pay raises compared to in-office staff, though they report greater job satisfaction.
Analysis from Live Data Technologies shows that fully remote employees are more likely to be let go compared to hybrid or in-office staff.
Some employees call the RTO policy unfair and impractical as they are faced with the dilemma of relocating to advance their careers.
“I now know I have no office. So I am remote, or I move if I want to stay,” said a senior Dell employee who lives far from the company’s approved sites, including 17 offices in the U.S. and 26 globally.
“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,” a frustrated Dell staffer added.
Others see it as a form of “quiet firing,” pushing employees towards resignation without the need for severance payouts. A separate survey reported that mandated office returns led to surging attrition rates.
“This level of micromanagement makes me want to leave Dell,” another employee noted.
Organizational experts view it as a reactive economic measure lacking clear justification.
“Senior execs somehow think that people in the office are more productive than at home, even though there’s no evidence to back that up,” said Professor Cary Cooper.
Another tech giant, German software company SAP SE, is facing internal backlash over its recent policy requiring employees to work in the office three days per week starting in April.
Multinational technology corporation International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) has instructed all managers in the U.S. to report in person to an office or client location at least three days per week, regardless of current remote work arrangements.
A ResumeBuilder.com survey found that 91% of companies will require employees to go into the office at least monthly this year, while 75% will mandate at least weekly office work.
