Dell has reiterated an RTO requirement for its sales teams: on‑site employees in Round Rock, Nashville and Oklahoma City must be present five days a week for at least eight hours a day after managers' walkthroughs found sellers leaving early. The November 5 email from Jackie Miller restated the policy and said personal business or vacation hours should be used for approved time away. An internal FAQ lists limited exceptions but excludes regular childcare. Employees say enforcement varied by manager prior to the clarification and that offices are now noticeably fuller.
Dell Reimposes Five‑Day, Eight‑Hour Office Rule for Sales After Walkthroughs Find Early Departures
Dell's headquarters is in Round Rock, Texas.Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Dell's sales leadership has tightened return‑to‑office (RTO) expectations, ordering on‑site sales staff in key offices to be present five days a week for a full working day after internal checks uncovered employees leaving early.
In an email dated November 5 and reviewed by Business Insider, Jackie Miller, vice president of North American commercial sales, wrote that "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." The abbreviations refer to Round Rock, Texas (RR), Nashville (NV), and Oklahoma City (OKC) — locations with large concentrations of sellers.
Why the Clarification?
Miller said "recent site visits" and "end‑of‑day walkthroughs" revealed the team was not consistently meeting the company’s in‑office expectations, prompting the renewed directive. The message reiterated that a strong in‑office presence supports collaboration, communication, and productivity — and that it is company policy.
Timeline And Broader Policy
Dell first instructed its global salesforce to be on‑site five days a week in September 2024. A company‑wide RTO directive was issued in January 2025 and took effect in March. While the formal RTO policy has not changed, managers and employees have differed on what "a regular working day in the office" actually requires.
Dell told Business Insider that team members are "expected to work a regular working day in the office, but have flexibility as needed," noting that some global roles with late‑evening calls can adjust in‑office hours accordingly.
Exceptions And Enforcement
An internal FAQ reviewed by Business Insider lists limited exceptions leaders may approve for remote work: temporary medical conditions, short‑term caregiving, or adjustments to avoid peak traffic. The FAQ explicitly excludes regular childcare, ongoing dependent care, or other personal business from those exceptions.
Employees told Business Insider enforcement varied by manager. Some managers interpreted the guidance as an eight‑hour expectation; others allowed staff to badge in briefly and leave. Two sales employees said managers had not enforced the rule consistently since the initial September 2024 announcement. One employee described having previously been allowed to leave around 2 p.m. to pick up school‑age children and finish the day remotely.
After the November clarification, sales leaders have told staff there are no exemptions for routine school‑pickup schedules, and employees report offices are fuller throughout the business day.
Context
Dell’s move follows a broader trend among large employers — including JPMorgan, Amazon, and Starbucks — tightening RTO policies as they push for more consistent in‑office attendance. Still, companies often face practical challenges enforcing such directives and balancing flexibility for employees with managerial expectations.
Paid Time Off And Absences: Miller’s email instructs employees who need time away from the office to use personal business allowance or vacation hours unless they have a leader‑approved exception.
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