Dell Enacts 5-Day In-Office Requirement

Tech giant Dell is the latest company to tighten its in-office policy. 

CEO Michael Dell told employees in an email that the company will require those who live within an hour of an office to return in person five days a week, Business Insider reported. 

"What we're finding is that for all the technology in the world, nothing is faster than the speed of human interaction," Dell wrote in the email. "A thirty second conversation can replace an email back-and-forth that goes on for hours or even days."

Dell said the company has already asked its sales, manufacturing and engineering teams back to the office five days a week as well as its on-site team members and leaders. 

"We have seen these areas come alive with new speed, energy, and passion," Dell wrote. "Now, we want to see that same sense of urgency and drive everywhere."

Last year, Dell announced a hybrid work schedule, with employees required to come in to the office at least three times a week, CoStar reported. The company has 125,000 workers and roughly 9.5M SF of office space in its portfolio.

Dell's full-time return-to-office mandate follows similar policies from corporate giants Amazon and JPMorgan Chase. President Donald Trump also pushed this month to increase federal office attendance. Last week, he issued an executive order mandating in-office work, and this week he offered a paid resignation deal for employees who don't want to come in to the office. 

Michael Dell is also a major commercial real estate investor affiliated with merchant bank BDT & MSD Partners. In 2023, the bank raised $3.2B through its MSD Real Estate Credit Opportunity Fund II, with Dell and bank employees putting $600M into the fund.

Dell has also put together more than $1B in loans to refinance a Times Square office building, and he has helped finance the 36-story State Street office tower in Boston and other investments in Austin and Miami, The Real Deal reported.