Working from residence criticism sparks anger: ‘We aren’t lazy’

The BBC has heard from a whole lot of people that have been angered by feedback by the previous boss of M&S and Asda that working from house is “not correct work”.

In an interview with Panorama, Lord Rose informed the BBC that residence working was a part of the UK financial system’s “normal decline” and staff’ productiveness was struggling.

Greater than 350 individuals, the vast majority of whom help working from residence, contacted the BBC with their tales.

One in every of them was Alba, 52, from Dorking, who’s at the moment trying to find a distant job. “We aren’t lazy. We do not need to golf all day.”

Alba, who beforehand labored as a enterprise administrator, lives with persistent ache, journey illness and migraines, and says she must do business from home to handle her situation.

“I simply desire a comfy setting the place I can take care of my well being points,” she says.

Out of 357 responses submitted by people who selected to contact the BBC, 250 individuals stated working from residence was important, with many citing well being points as a key cause for versatile working

“I am not in senior administration, I am not asking for a excessive wage, I simply do not need to be on illness advantages and that is what is going to occur if I can not do business from home,” says Alba.

She provides that her well being points as soon as resulted in an ambulance being known as at work.

Clare McNeil, director at Timewise, a consultancy specialising in versatile working insurance policies, highlights that the advantages of distant work lengthen to employers as nicely, with such insurance policies lowering employees turnover and illness absence.

Mark Mortensen, affiliate professor of organisational behaviour on the enterprise college INSEAD, says defining productiveness might be difficult, notably in artistic and collaborative roles.

However Rebecca Mitchell, 38, a software program engineer from London, says the distinction in her productiveness at work has been “drastic” since she began working from residence 10 years in the past.

Rebecca, who has ADHD, says that earlier than working remotely, she struggled to remain employed.

“Working from an workplace provides an excessive amount of stress and results in a wealth of psychological well being points for me,” she says.

She says that whereas earlier than, she felt missed for profession development due to her incapacity, since working from residence her wage has tripled.

“Autism and ADHD are solely now being accepted. Folks perceive neurodivergence now like they did not earlier than.

“Folks like me depend on working from residence with a purpose to be a productive a part of the workforce.”

The shift in the direction of working from residence has elevated within the UK for the reason that begin of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Whereas the pattern in working solely from residence has fallen since 2021, a hybrid-working mannequin – some days travelling to work and a few days working at residence – has turn out to be the brand new regular for many individuals.

Based on a snapshot survey from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics, 25% of working adults in Nice Britain had been hybrid working in January 2025, whereas 15% had been working from residence. The information reveals the place individuals stated they had been engaged on the day they accomplished the survey, slightly than their wider working sample.

However, of the BBC’s responses, 50 had been towards working from residence.

A kind of was Hannah, 31, a technical help supervisor in Birmingham.

After the pandemic, her employer shut down all its workplaces so she needed to work remotely full-time. She says this has taken a toll on her psychological, bodily and monetary well being, prompting her to think about altering careers and transferring home to enhance her scenario.

“It appears like I am in a lockdown that is by no means going to finish,” she says.

Lord Rose, who not too long ago stepped down as Asda’s chairman, informed the BBC: “We’ve got regressed on this nation by way of working practices, productiveness and the nation’s wellbeing.”

For Hannah, who’s single, distant work has left her feeling remoted.

“All of the individuals who love working from residence are in relationships, or have youngsters, dwell with household – they don’t seem to be 100% alone on a regular basis like me.”