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

The PJDM has heard from lots of 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 told the PJDM that house working was a part of the UK economic system’s “common decline” and workers’ productiveness was struggling.

Greater than 350 individuals, nearly all of whom help working from house, contacted the PJDM with their tales.

Certainly one of them was Alba, 52, from Dorking, who’s at present trying to find a distant job. “We aren’t lazy. We do not wish to golf all day.”

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

“I simply desire a snug atmosphere the place I can cope with my well being points,” she says.

Out of 357 responses submitted by people who selected to contact the PJDM, 250 individuals stated working from house 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 wish to be on illness advantages and that is what is going to occur if I am unable to make money working from home,” says Alba.

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

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

Mark Mortensen, affiliate professor of organisational behaviour on the enterprise faculty INSEAD, says defining productiveness could 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 house 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 house her wage has tripled.

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

“Individuals like me depend on working from house as a way to be a productive a part of the workforce.”

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

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

Based on a snapshot survey from the Office for National Statistics, 25% of working adults in Nice Britain had been hybrid working in January 2025, whereas 15% had been working from house. The info reveals the place individuals stated they had been engaged on the day they accomplished the survey, somewhat than their wider working sample.

However, of the PJDM’s responses, 50 had been towards working from house.

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

After the pandemic, her employer shut down all its places of work 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 shifting home to enhance her scenario.

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

Lord Rose, who lately stepped down as Asda’s chairman, instructed the PJDM: “We now have 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 house are in relationships, or have kids, reside with household – they are not 100% alone on a regular basis like me.”