Dell Dials Back Flexibility for Employees
Plus, transitioning organizational change as a way of being with Tonille Miller
👋 Happy Tuesday! A recent Harvard Business School study surveyed more than 2,000 workers if they would be willing to give up part of their salaries to keep their flexibility rather than return to the office five days a week or find a new job. While more than half of workers surveyed wouldn't take a salary reduction, 40 percent said they would accept a pay cut of 5 percent or more. Another 9 percent of respondents would trade 20 percent or more of their salaries to avoid the office.
In this week’s edition:
💻 Dell’s RTO Announcement
📊 US Enterprises & Flexibility
⚙️ Change Management, Reinvented
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THIS WEEK’S FLEX FOCUS 🔍
Dell Announces Full-Time Office Mandate
Dell recently announced that all employees within an hour of an office to return five days a week starting March 2025 marks another large employer walking back from their hybrid plans. The tech giant's decision, affecting thousands of Massachusetts workers, particularly in Franklin and Hopkinton, follows similar moves by Amazon and JPMorgan Chase.
The irony isn't lost that a technology company - one that sells tools enabling remote work - is now pulling workers back to physical offices. CEO Michael Dell's memo attempted to soften the blow by claiming commitment to "flexibility within your workday”.
Public reaction highlights the disconnect between executive decisions and employee preferences, with concerns ranging from increased traffic congestion to questions about whether executives themselves will follow these strict in-person requirements. For Massachusetts' tech sector, this shift raises a key question: Is this return to office a step forward for productivity or two steps back for workplace evolution?
FLEX WORK QUICK HITS 💥
Stay ahead of the curve with our curated roundup of the trending flexible work stories making waves right now. Here's what you need to know 👇
Bloomberg: Citigroup doubles down on their commitment to hybrid work, citing the advantage of being able to attract top talent who prioritize flexibility.
Fortune: JPMorgan unveils tech-enabled HQ feature AI-driven amenities and luxury perks as the bank reinforces its five-day office mandate.
HRDrive: Remote work surges among $250k+ earners, with healthcare and tech roles leading flexible work adoption in Q4 2024.
Harvard Business School: 40% of workers would accept a 5% pay cut to maintain remote work flexibility, with women showing stronger preference than men.
STAT OF THE WEEK 📈
Tuesday - Thursday Dominates Required Office Days for US Enterprises
Last April, we explored how US enterprises were approaching work location flexibility. At that time, there was an overwhelming preference for mid-week attendance with companies with a Specific Day/Week model. About 80% of enterprises required Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Monday is a distant fourth; only 8% of companies require Fridays in the office.
This data sets an interesting baseline for tracking how corporate America’s office attendance policies continue to evolve.
FLEXPERT INSIGHTS 🧠
Transitioning Change as an Event to a Way of Being
Tonille Miller challenges the outdated notion of change management as a finite project. She argues that successful organizations must instead embrace change as their natural state of operation, backed by research showing higher employee engagement in agile companies.
Tonille outlines a practical roadmap for this transformation, emphasizing the need for decentralized decision-making, continuous feedback loops, and employee empowerment.
FLEX PERSPECTIVES 🎙️
ICYMI: Boundaries, Self Care, and Building Community | Tiffany Dufu
In this episode of Flex Perspectives, Rob Sadow is joined by Tiffany Dufu, Founder & CEO at The Cru. In the episode, Tiffany shares the lessons she learned while leading her company through the challenges of the pandemic
Check out the full episode to learn:
Why self-care and establishing boundaries is vital, especially during challenging times.
Practical strategies and advice for how to foster community and seek mentors in a flexible working world.
Tips to building relationships and strengthening connections even when in-person interactions aren’t possible.
Also available on Apple Podcasts.
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ✨
Egg Strategy, founded in 2003, is a marketing consulting firm specializing in insights, strategy, and innovation, driven by their mission to unearth profound human understanding and apply it to drive business growth. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, they also have offices in New York, Chicago, and London to professionalize their global reach.
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