Alan Sugar has taken a fresh swipe at the work-from-home culture, claiming it is bad for morale and bad for learning.
The Apprentice star zoomed in to a BBC interview to discuss remote working, which took off during the Covid-19 pandemic and has remained one of its enduring legacies.
It follows similar criticism made during a Twitter spat in 2022, when he responded to one person by saying:
“Listen scum bag most who work from home watch more TV than work. There are a few exceptions but the majority are lazy gits. When some of my companies recruit the first question asked by some applicants is “can I work from home” . They are shown the door .”
Sugar’s beliefs on remote working aren’t without support within the business community.
Renowned writer and thinker Malcolm Gladwell has rowed in on the topic, telling the Diary of a CEO podcast that “It’s not in your best interest to work at home. I know it’s a hassle to come to the office, but if you’re just sitting in your pajamas in your bedroom – is that the work life you want to live?”
Gladwell wasn’t dismissing remote working. Rather, he was speaking to the point that it is in workers’ best professional interests to be present – at least some of the time – at their place of work. Access to, and facetime with, your manager is something that can only happen properly in person. Plus, being in the office with colleagues engenders those spontaneous conversations that light sparks of innovation that you simply can’t schedule over Zoom.
Office access is crucial too for younger workers who may have begun their first job during the pandemic. Learning the ropes of office culture and team dynamics will stand them in good stead for their future careers.
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