‘We’re not lazy’ – work from home criticism breeds anger

The BBC has heard from hundreds of people angry over comments by a former M&S and Asda boss that working from home is “not a fair job”.

In an interview with Panorama, Lord Rose told the BBC This homeworking was part of the “general decline” of the UK economy and staff productivity was suffering.

More than 350 people, most of whom support working from home, contacted the BBC with their stories.

One of them was Alba, 52, from Dorking, who is currently looking for a remote job. “We’re not lazy. We don’t want to golf all day.”

Alba, who previously worked as a business administrator, lives with chronic pain, motion sickness and migraines, and says she needs to work from home to manage her condition.

“I just want a comfortable environment where I can deal with my health issues,” she says.

Of the 357 responses submitted by individuals who chose to contact the BBC, 250 said that working from home was necessary, with many citing health issues as a significant reason for flexible working.

“I’m not in senior management, I’m not asking for a higher salary, I just don’t want to be on sick benefits and if I can’t work from home, so be it,” says Alba.

She says an ambulance was once called at work as a result of her health issues.

Claire McNeill, director of Timewise, a consultancy specializing in flexible working policies, points out that the benefits of remote working extend to employers too, with such policies reducing employee turnover and sickness absence.

Mark Mortensen, associate professor of organizational behavior at the business school INSEAD, says productivity can be challenging to define, especially in creative and collaborative roles.

But Rebecca Mitchell, 38, a software engineer from London, says the difference in her productivity at work has been “drastical” since she started working from home 10 years ago.

Rebecca, who has ADHD, says that before working remotely, she struggled to stay employed.

“Working from an office causes a lot of stress and a wealth of mental health issues for me,” she says.

She says that before, she felt overlooked for career advancement due to her disability, as her salary has tripled since working from home.

“Autism and ADHD are only now becoming accepted. People understand neurodivergence like they didn’t before.

“People like me rely on working from home to be a productive part of the workforce.”

The shift towards working from home has increased in the UK since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

While the trend of only working from home has declined since 2021, a hybrid-working model – some days traveling to work and some days working at home – has become the new normal for many.

According to a snapshot survey from National Statistical Office25% of working adults in Great Britain were working in January 2025, while 15% were working from home. The data shows that people said they were working on the day they completed the survey rather than their broader working patterns.

But, of the BBC’s responses, 50 were against working from home.

One of them was Hannah, 31, a technical support manager in Birmingham.

After the pandemic, her employer closed all of its offices so she had to work remotely. She says it has taken a toll on her mental, physical and financial health, prompting her to consider careers and relocating home to improve her situation.

“It feels like I’m in a lockdown that’s never going to end,” she says.

Lord Rose, who recently stepped down as chairman of ASDA, told the BBC: “We are in this country again in terms of working practices, productivity and the well-being of the country.”

For Hannah, who is single, remote work has left her isolated.

“All the people who like to work from home, are in relationships, or have kids, live with family – they’re not alone 100% of the time like I am.”