Dell Technologies mandates in-office work five days a week for sales staff

Sales staff, especially field representatives, must now balance customer engagements and office duties with a five-day workweek, up from the previous three-day office requirement

Dell Technologies has introduced a notable change to its work policy in the global sales division. As indicated in an internal memo, starting September 30, those capable of working from company offices will need to do so five days a week, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The move is reportedly intended to foster a more collaborative work environment and support the professional development of its sales team. According to the memo, in-person work was emphasized as essential, with remote work framed as the exception rather than the standard, the report said.

Sales staff, particularly field representatives, are expected to balance their time between customer and partner engagements and office duties, with a five-day workweek. Under the previous policy, they were required in the office for three days, the report stated.

The company has made accommodations for certain employees, stating that remote sales team members who can’t go into a Dell office should continue to work remotely. Dell has indicated that it will soon provide more details regarding its remote workforce.

In August, Dell revealed a major restructuring of its sales division, which includes layoffs aimed at streamlining operations and emphasising artificial intelligence. An internal memo issued to employees on August 6 outlined plans to merge sales teams and create a new division dedicated to AI, according to a report by Business Insider.

Although Dell has not specified the number of employees affected, estimates indicate that around 12,500 workers, or around 10 per cent of the company's overall workforce, could be impacted, as reported by Newsbyte.

This decision aligns with a wider trend among tech companies reassessing the remote work policies implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. While many organisations have adopted hybrid work models, some are advocating for a stronger return to the office.

Similarly, Amazon has recently stated that it will require employees to be in the office five days a week starting next year, a shift from its earlier policy that allowed for three days of in-office work.