Luke Johnson, the entrepreneur and member of the Daily Sceptic’s board, has written a terrific comment piece in the Mail lambasting the laptop classes for continuing to work from home – in many cases, putting in two or three hour days – while the economy is heading for fall and the cost of living crisis deepening.
Britain, like much of the world, is on the brink of an economic downturn, fuelled by inflation, a cost-of-living crisis and the impact of war in Ukraine.
I fear we may be heading into a recession worse than any seen during the 40 years I’ve been in business.
It is a grim prospect and we are going to need all our grit and determination to make it through the tough times ahead. Certainly, one luxury we cannot afford to allow ourselves any longer is WFH – working from home.
Confronted with a frightening new virus and lockdown, the digital technology that afforded us the ability to WFH was a godsend for millions. It certainly stopped the economy from going into free fall.
But two years on, as the shadow of the pandemic recedes, too many people have become addicted to the practice of WFH and show no inclination to return to the office.
They have lost the habit of commuting and, perhaps, got rather too used to staying in their pyjamas until a Zoom meeting dictates otherwise.
They enjoy having constant access to the kitchen and the biscuit tin, or the chance to wander out into the garden to smell the roses whenever they fancy, while relishing being able to idly scroll on their mobile phone without fear of a boss’s wandering eyes.
And, of course, they find they are able to spend more time with their partner or offspring.
Yes, I am being a touch facetious, but the truth is working from home has facilitated the holy grail – viewed as such particularly by those on the Left – of the work-life balance.
Unfortunately, all the emphasis is now on ‘life’ rather than ‘work’. Domestic routines have been prioritised at the expense of workplace routines.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the taxpayer-funded civil service.
Worth reading in full.
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