That Stockholm Syndrome is real!
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All these people saying that Dell was making them work 12+ hour days. Bullsh-t! It is totally your choice. I did that for a while then realised I didn't actually have to so I stopped. Nothing bad happened. The company didn't go under. The world didn't stop spinning. I just drew a line in the sand that unless a customer crisis was actually happening - then I would only work reasonable hours. I received no complaints from management / project managers or colleagues. The company will happily let you work as many hours as you want and they will not stop you. It is up to you. Make your own choice!
@OP Since I’ve left Dell, I’ve lost weight, gained happiness and caught up with friends that I haven’t seen in years due to 60 to 70 hour weeks. I forgot about alot of things I was missing out on in life for the sake of my job.
My future is uncertain, but I don’t have the overwhelming stress that I had. And for now, things are OK.
Wasn’t let go but decided to leave because of the lack of advancement since being hired remote. Life is SO MUCH BETTER. The company moral was miserable. And then doing whatever they could to get remote workers to leave…was heart breaking after all the work we had put in to be successful. F that place and SB/Mb leadership…mainly MB leader ED, erectile dysfunction
I Was let go 6 months ago Since then I’ve been sleeping better at night, have been able to fit in walks and Dr appointments during the day and actually have lunch! Dell had me working 12+hour days, traveling every week ( incurring extra personal expenses) and I was experiencing anxiety attacks at least 1x a week!
After 12 years I was happy to leave the toxic mgmt and a-s licking politics and live my life again!
Worked at Dell EMC 16 years. Most toxic company I have ever worked for. I am much happier and healthier now that I left.
I happen to land a job at dell there by a series of circumstances.
I was never a dell believer. I knew Dell was a sh--e-show from the first week due to common sense and previous work experience.
It was sad and comical at the same time watching these 10-20year mindless dell lifers jump through hoops for such a mid company. Previous workplaces would give us spot bonus bigger than dells yearly.
And they way they and Dell corporate tries to gaslight people into thinking dell is some tech mecca.
@OP I've learned how beautiful life can be outside of a perpetual Dilbert cartoon.
Wasn’t “let go”, I quit and now enjoy my workplace, coworkers who laugh and smile, executive leadership, and job security — no talk of perpetual layoffs and AI nonsense. Sure, we use AI daily, but it’s not a requirement. In one word: refreshing. Dell is a stale, stagnant, and depressing laggard; fortunate to hitch itself to AI and Nvidia, nothing more. Greed will run its course.
I learned that I was really stagnating and falling behind. Dell projects were very generic and required low effort, and they actively resisted using modern tools.
A year later and I’m learning new skills and doing thing I never thought I’d be able to do, with a little help from my buddy Claude of course.
I learned just how little I was expected to do at Dell.
After nearly 20 years I felt like Brooks Hadlen. "Institutionalized". Even getting superior reviews & accolades there was always...ALWAYS...the fear of "when & how" are they going to cut me loose.
Was still a shock when it happened, and the future is scary (I'm truly remote).
But...BUT...even with the uncertainty, its a huge relief not worrying about when its going to happen.
And the severance is not a goodwill gesture, its a bet that you won't sue for wrongful termination.
In my case...they rolled the dice & won.
Life is better on the outside, way better. Did 27 yrs at Dell.
Life is short…. Go and live it. Dell sell you the line that they care about their employees and their customers. It’s all about $$$$$s, nothing else.
Dell was not a good place for me, despite my desperate fear of losing my job. It was ki-ling me physically.
I learned that Dell's constant off-shoring and d-mbing down of roles led my skills to atrophy. I am smart, so I was able to quickly pivot and fill gaps back in.
I learned that it's so much better outside of Dell. Other companies have not completely turned evil. There are places that value their employees and treat them with authentic respect and care.
@OP That Dell was over 10 years behind the times and management has no idea what they're doing. It's been a night and day difference now that I'm away from that hellhole. So much better leadership and technology virtually anywhere you go outside of Dell.
Nothing!
ask a prisoner what it's like to be paroled....same thing.