AUSTIN, Texas — Dell confirmed it’s the latest company to reverse its stance on remote work.
An internal email from CEO Michael Dell said that in March, all employees who live about an hour from the office will be expected to be at their desks five days a week.
Business Insider first reported the email sent by the CEO, which stated Dell employees were expected back starting March 3. Employees who live far from a Dell office will still be allowed to work remotely.
However, remote workers reportedly won’t be eligible for a promotion through its annual pay planning process without approval from senior leadership. In an internal post, the company states “all future roles will be hired at a specific Dell office” with no chances at remote work.
In the memo, Dell wrote that the move was a way to accelerate its business, citing how a 30-second conversation could “replace an email back-and-forth that goes on for hours or even days.”
Dell joins Amazon, AT&T and JPMorgan which have changed their stance on working remotely. Federal employees have also been told to return to offices full-time following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Recent layoffs at Dell
An internal memo from August 2024 announced Dell would be laying off employees to restructure around artificial intelligence.
With the layoffs, it was reported Dell would streamline “layers of management” to build products and services focused on AI. The company already uses high-powered servers to handle heavy AI workloads.
Two months later, Dell abruptly pushed the company’s sales staff to return to fully in-person schedules so employees could collaborate together.
While it’s unclear how many employees were laid off, the move came after Dell cut 13,000 jobs worldwide in 2023 due to a drop in sales like personal computers.