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As previously reported, Dell has begun its return to office mandate, instructing Australian employees to return full-time in a move away from the flexible working arrangements adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The move affects around 1,500 employees at Dell, while Aussie firm Flight Centre has also implemented an RTO directive.
Dell’s workforce received notice of the change with just four days to adapt, ending the hybrid model that allowed remote work for part of the week. The company now requires all employees to be present in the office five days a week. In a memo to staff, Dell stated that the transition would promote skill development and emphasized that “working remotely should be the exception rather than the routine.”
The notice period mirrors the US schedule when a note was sent to sales staff on September 26, insisting that all global sales team members able to work from a Dell office must be onsite five days a week from September 30.
Earlier in the year the tech giant began the process by introducing a three-day-per-week in-office mandate for all Dell employees.
Back to the office | 79% of CEOs predict full RTO within three years
The return is a volte face by CEO Michael Dell, who said in a 2021 interview that remote working was “absolutely here to stay,” and a 2022 LinkedIn post where he proclaimed that forcing workers into the office was “doing it wrong,” and that the firm had historically “found no meaningful differences for team members working remotely or office-based.”
Flight Centre office return
Travel services company Flight Centre, has insisted on full in-office attendance for its Australian employees. The only exceptions will be for staff who are traveling. In an internal communication, Flight Centre underscored the importance of face-to-face interactions, stating that “a key part of our culture is the ability to form connections together in person.”
The move places Dell and Flight Centre among a growing number of companies rolling back remote work options. Last month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced a return to office-based work, reminding employees that office presence is expected “outside of extenuating circumstances.”
Both Google and Microsoft, however, have reiterated their commitment to a hybrid model.
John Casey, VP of Global Compensation at Google told staff that its current model, which requires staff to be in a Google office at least three days per week, remains in place.
Microsoft, meanwhile, said it had no plans to request a return to the office, although there was as caveat around productivity levels attached to it.
