Dell employees who work fully remotely will no longer be eligible for promotion.

Dell has been a leader in home office, but now the company appears to be making a 180° turn. Starting in May, Dell employees who work fully remotely will no longer be eligible for promotions or role changes. The company wants to strengthen the personal connection between employees, although research shows that the so-called “return to office” policy can damage employee morale and have a negative impact on the financial situation.

Home office punished

Starting in May, hybrid employees will be required to come into the office at least 39 days per quarter, which is about three days per week. Those who prefer never to come to the office are punished for it. Remote employees are not eligible for a promotion or able to change roles. To do this, they must transform themselves into hybrid employees again.

Leading in hybrid working

Despite the big change, Dell has long been known as a leader in hybrid and home work. Even before the corona pandemic, employees worked from home for a day. CEO Michael Dell was previously a proponent of working from home, describing in a 2022 blog post that no significant differences were seen between team members working remotely or in the office.

The so-called “return-to-office” mandate has already been studied by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. Return-to-office policies have been found to harm employee morale and do not improve the company’s financial situation.