Perhaps borrowing from preschool organization, where pupils are pastel color-coded as a means of tracking and grade classification, Dell Inc. told workers this month it will track the onsite presence of hybrid employees using a number of technologies, including electronic badge swipes, VPN monitoring, and “a rather creepy color-coding system,” according to an exclusive in the tech news outlet The Register.
As a critic relayed to the Register, as part of Dell’s “return-to-grade-school initiative, (human resources) will be keeping an attendance report card on employees, grading them at four levels based on how well they meet the goal of being in the office 39 days a quarter.”
“Employees who do not meet the attendance requirement will have their status escalated up the ladder,” a source told the news outlet.
In a statement to The Register, a Dell spokesperson allegedly didn’t deny the new approach to working from home part-time, writing: “We shared with team members our updated hybrid work policy. Team members in hybrid roles will be onsite at a Dell Technologies office at least 39 days per quarter (on average three days a week). In today’s global technology revolution, we believe in-person connections paired with a flexible approach are critical to drive innovation and value differentiation.”
