Dell’s top sales executive sends memo to employees not following 5-day work from office: Effective immediately, …

Dell is cracking down on employees who have been “badge-swiping” or leaving early. According to a report, internal “walkthroughs” revealed widespread non-compliance with the company’s return-to-office (RTO) mandate that was announced earlier this year.

In a strongly worded internal memo, Jackie Miller, Dell’s vice president of North American Commercial Sales, informed the sales staff that the time of flexible hours is over for onsite-classified team members.“Effective immediately, all onsite-classified sales team members are expected to be in the RR, NV, and OKC offices five days a week for at least eight hours per day,” Miller wrote in a memo, which was obtained by Business Insider.

The directive targets Dell’s major hubs in Round Rock (Texas), Nashville and Oklahoma City.

Dell wants employees to work 5-days a week and 8-hours-a-day

Dell originally called sales staff back to a five-day onsite schedule in September 2024, the new memo – sent on November 5 – adds a specific time requirement that was previously a point of contention between managers and staff.The report says that the crackdown was prompted by “recent site visits” and “end-of-day walkthroughs” conducted by the company leadership.

According to the memo, these inspections revealed that many employees were not adhering to the five-day policy, often leaving mid-afternoon or arriving late.Miller noted that that a physical presence is “essential for fostering collaboration, communication, and productivity,” and stated that any personal business or time away from the desk must now be covered by vacation hours or personal business allowances.

Dell employees say ‘new’ mandate ends flexibility for parents

The new enforcement has reportedly caused disruption for employees with families. This is because under previous interpretations of the policy, many parents were permitted by their managers to leave to pick up children from school and finish their workday at home. Sales leaders have now clarified that there are no exemptions for school schedules.

What Dell has to say on the move

A Dell spokesperson defended the move, stating that while team members are expected to work a “regular working day,” some flexibility remains for those in global roles who take late-night calls.However, the internal FAQ remains strict: while temporary medical conditions or peak traffic adjustments may be approved, the documents state that "regular childcare, care for dependents, or attending to other personal business" do not qualify for work-from-home exemptions.