Dell ends hybrid work policy, becomes latest tech giant to force workers back to the office full-time

• Dell’s RTO mandate will come into force on March 3, 2025
• Workers will need to be in the office five days per week
• There’s some slack for hybrid working, but it comes at a cost

In September 2024, we reported Dell would be enacting a return-to-office policy, and it has now been confirmed any employees living within an hour’s commute from an office must go in five days per week.

The company's full-time RTO mandate is set to come into force on Monday, March 3, 2025, but workers living further afield will still be granted permission to work remotely.

The news follows several other similar announcements across the tech industry, marking what could be the start of the end of remote working for many.

Dell’s RTO mandate does have some leniency

A memo seen by The Register stated: “Starting March 3, all hybrid and remote team members who live near a Dell office will work in the office five days a week… We are retiring the hybrid policy effective that day. We remain committed to flexibility within your workday, and you should continue to work with your manager to meet your needs. But for the most part, you should plan to work in the office five days a week.”

Although there appears to be some tolerance for hybrid working among Dell’s employees who live further afield, the company had previously come under fire for making its remote workers ineligible for promotions.

CEO Michael Dell is one of the many leaders citing better productivity and collaboration off the back of in-person interactions – a sentiment apparently shared by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy when the ecommerce and cloud computing giant asked its workers to visit the office more regularly.

Although the benefits of in-person working are undeniable, there are occasions and roles that are better suited to working remotely. Workers from across the industry have expressed concerns over getting into the office when they have care and other duties at home. More broadly, the pandemic-induced rise of hybrid working helped companies increase their talent pools to workers who previously may not have considered a role.

Dell told us in an email: "Thanks for reaching out Craig. We continually evolve our business so we're set up to deliver the best innovation, value and service to our customers and partners. That includes more in-person connections to drive market leadership."

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