Salesforce Is Cracking Down on In-Office Work, Requiring Some Employees in the Office 5 Days a Week: 'A Step Back' The news was reportedly given to employees via an internal memo.

By Emily Rella Edited by Melissa Malamut

Key Takeaways

  • Salesforce is reportedly mandating that certain employees return to office four to five times per week, according to an internal memo viewed by multiple outlets.
  • The news comes weeks after the tech company reportedly laid off around 300 employees.
  • Two years ago, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff spoke out against return-to-office mandates, saying they were "never going to work."

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Salesforce is implementing a strict return-to-office policy for employees around the country.

"Select employees in sales, workplace services, data center engineering and onsite support technicians under the chief information officer will be required to come to the office four to five days a week, effective Oct. 1," an internal memo read, per the New York Post.

Other departments, including legal, product, and marketing will be mandated to an "office-flex" schedule, which means that they are required to come back into the office a minimum of three days per week.

Some engineering roles are required to return to the office for only 10 days per quarter.

Related: Amazon Is Reportedly Tracking 'Coffee Badging' Workers and Their Real In-Office Hours

The decision is a pivot — in 2022, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that return-to-office mandates were "never going to work."

According to the San Francisco Standard, Salesforce will also be rolling out an "internal dashboard" to track employee badge scans in its U.S. offices beginning in August. All employees will have access to this data to promote "full visibility" of the company's tracking policy.

"Salesforce has always been a hybrid work company," a Salesforce spokesperson told the outlet. "Our guidelines focus on in-person connection, while also recognizing the value of working away from the office."

"We all know we are more productive at home," one employee wrote about the news on Reddit. "I think they are just trying to come to terms with the numbers and freaking out."

"As much as I don't want to admit it, there are days where going into the office is super helpful," another argued.

On the same thread, some called the decision a "step back" for the company.

Earlier this month, Salesforce quietly laid off roughly 300 employees.

Related: Salesforce Investors Reject CEO Marc Benioff's $39.6M Pay

"Like any healthy business, we continuously assess whether we have the right structure in place to best serve our customers and fuel growth areas," a spokesperson for the company told Bloomberg following the report. "In some cases that leads to roles being eliminated."

Salesforce joins Amazon in cracking down on in-office work. Amazon is reportedly tracking employees' hours in the office to comply with new mandates and discourage "coffee badging."

Salesforce did not immediately respond to Entrepreneur's request for comment.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

This 31-Year-Old Spends 2 Hours Per Week On His $2,000-a-Month Passive Income Side Hustle: 'Trust Your Vision'

Hansel Moore's home office "wasn't cutting it" — so he found another place to be creative.

Business News

OLIPOP Is Now a $1.85 Billion Brand. 'You Can Accomplish Things You Can't Imagine' Says Its Co-Founder.

OLIPOP co-founder Ben Goodwin explains how his idea for a "functional" soda that supports the gut's microbiome found its way onto store shelves and into consumers' hearts.

Business News

Google's CEO Praised AI Rival DeepSeek This Week for Its 'Very Good Work.' Here's Why.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Wednesday.

Marketing

Be Seen Online: Outrank Your Competitors Without Breaking a Sweat

Automate SEO, generate engaging content, and increase visibility—all with SEMAI.

Marketing

Should I Ask Google? SEO Is Changing Fast This Year — Here's What to Watch

SEO in 2025 will focus on adapting to AI-driven changes, voice and visual search, mobile-first design and building trust.

Starting a Business

Co-Founders Must Answer These Crucial Questions Before Launching a Startup

Launching a startup with co-founders can be exciting, but it also comes with potential pitfalls. Here are the questions every founding team must answer to build a strong foundation for success.