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Dell is pushing for a mandatory return to the office.
The tech giant has begun monitoring office attendance by tracking badge swipes for U.S. employees who choose to classify themselves as hybrid workers, according to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider. He said he told him.
Dell will begin monitoring time and attendance on May 6, and the data will begin appearing on each hybrid employee’s profile on its HR platform Workday this week.
This data is used to classify employees into blue, green, yellow, or red flags on a quarterly basis.
Business Insider spoke to 10 current Dell employees, all of whom requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
The majority opposed the policy, with many complaining that they felt it was unnecessarily harsh, with one staff member telling BI that some staff were being “tracked like kindergarteners and had no idea their name was on any list.” “I’m scared that it will be published,” he said.
“As a next step in implementing a hybrid work policy, we plan to track onsite presence using badge swipes for hybrid-designated team members,” Dell’s note states.
“Starting Monday, May 13th, you will be able to see weekly site visit data. At the end of the quarter, the number of site visits will be accumulated and reflected using category ranges.”
Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, Dell Technologies. Null Photo/Getty
The blue flag, which reflects Dell’s corporate colors, is the highest rank and is awarded for “consistent on-site work,” meaning at least 39 days in the office each quarter, and the green flag is for “regular on-site work.” will be assigned to “site work”.
A yellow flag represents “some onsite presence” and a red flag represents “limited onsite presence.”
Dell told employees that name color will be factored into performance reviews, pay and compensation.
Staff who choose to remain remote during an overhaul of the company’s hybrid work policy, first announced in February, will not be monitored. However, if you choose to remain remote, you will no longer be eligible for promotions or change roles.
Dell employees classified as remote and hybrid told Business Insider they were disappointed in the way the company implemented this new policy.
“Dell is not the place it once was, where employees were respected and valued. So many people are depressed and hurt by this policy,” said one Dell employee who requested anonymity. .
“Dell is in a dictatorship,” declared another.
“Lack of flexibility”
Other staff who spoke to BI raised concerns about the “lack of flexibility” in the new monitoring system. One person said that for a company dedicated to innovation, Dell’s internal “technology and approach are completely outdated.”
According to an internal FAQ about the policy reviewed by BI, the attendance monitoring solution is based solely on data from badge swipes.
This means that if an employee forgets their badge, goes on a business trip, or takes their approved annual leave, the system marks them as absent.
The FAQ confirms that regularly showing up without a badge means it will appear as “red” on the system.
Dell says employees will not be penalized for this.
Dell headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. Staff attendance will be monitored. Brandon Bell/Getty
“Since there is no systematic way to account for on-site attendance where badge readers are not available, we will use an honor system and trust that you are adhering to our policies.”
Dell told staff that by reporting attendance within a range, the system can account for “days on which a team member has taken Dell-approved vacation, business travel, company holidays, etc.”
It is not clear what happens if an employee is periodically removed from time accrual for legitimate reasons. According to a senior Dell manager, this lack of clarity is causing “huge frustration.”
“No one knows what it means to be designated as hybrid and not be able to see each other three days a week.”
In response to inquiries from BI, Dell did not respond to specific questions about system flexibility, but said staff in hybrid roles will be onsite at least 39 days per quarter, and an average of three days per week. I acknowledged that I was expected to work.
“In today’s global technology revolution, we believe face-to-face connections combined with a flexible approach are critical to driving innovation and value differentiation,” the company told BI.
Dell joins a growing list of major companies mandating increased office work after years of working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After initially embracing telecommuting, the tech giant Google, Meta, Salesforce Companies have moved away from remote work and are now requiring employees to spend a certain amount of time in the office.
Many companies face internal opposition to these policies. In February, financial giant Deutsche Bank faced criticism from employees for requiring employees to work three days a week, despite complaints that there wasn’t enough space to accommodate all employees.
in the hands of managers
According to the FAQ document, Dell leaves the responsibility of tracking employees to individual managers, and any future actions based on poor attendance are “determined at the discretion of leadership, not centrally or HR-driven.” .
“It’s not as iron-fisted as it sounded when we first announced it. We can work with management on unusual exceptions,” said one employee. They viewed each manager’s approach positively.
But some see the new system as more work for already stretched leaders.
“In an environment where more work is being pushed onto fewer people, it’s going to take even more time,” said one Dell manager.
BI officials say managers’ leniency also varies by team.
One employee who worked for a senior manager said his boss told employees that he would be satisfied if the count reached 3 to 39 days.
“He personally believes the new policy is stupid,” the source said. “He has better things to do than count the days of people in office.”
But a friend on another team was told by the manager that he expects everyone to turn blue every week, the source said.
“Effectiveness definitely depends on the manager. There are definitely managers who don’t manage vacation properly and reprimand employees for not being in the office despite vacation,” said another Dell source. I also agree.
These changes are “making people really trust Dell as an employer,” the person added.
Are you an employee at Dell or another company looking to bring staff back to the office? Contact this reporter at: pthompson@businessinsider.com