Working from home has become the norm for many people, including some estate agents – and not just those who are self-employed – since the coronavirus pandemic. But has working from home meant a generation of people “not doing proper work”?
The pandemic has highlighted the viability of estate agents and other property professionals working from home for at least part of the week in recent years. But the former boss Marks & Spencers and Asda has caused a stir by claiming that working from home had harmed employee productivity.
Lord Rose told BBC One’s Panorama, which you can watch on iPlayer: “We have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country’s wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four.
“We are creating a whole generation and probably a generation beyond that of people who are used to actually not doing what I call proper work. I believe that productivity is less good if you work from home. I believe that your personal development suffers, that you’re not going to develop as well as you might if you’ve been in the workplace as long as I have.”
The number of people working from home in the UK more than doubled between December 2019 and March 2022 from 4.7 million to 9.9 million, as the Covid pandemic forced people into lockdowns from March 2020 onwards. Since then a high proportion of people have continued to work from home even though pandemic restrictions have long disappeared. Office workers were by far the most affected.
Several big companies have told workers they must come into the office more or even abandon hybrid working completely. Should estate agencies who allow staff to work from home follow suit?
A psychology professor from Birmingham City University (BCU) has criticised comments that working from home is not ‘proper work’
The government plans to introduce flexible working by default in the upcoming Employment Rights Bill, currently going through committee stage in parliament, although whether this will protect home working is up for debate as the proposed reasons to refuse employee requests are very similar to existing legislation.
Craig Jackson, professor of occupational health psychology at BCU, said that workers are often more productive when given flexibility in how they work, and that pushes towards ‘traditional’ working environments could put people off certain jobs.
He explained: “What many industry experts seem to struggle with is the reality that workers, when not watched over or in the office, will continue to work productively when trusted to do so.
“We are seeing more male bosses who want a return to the office, compared to their female counterparts. When we think of traditional male bosses, there may be a sense of wanting more control over their employees, something that is difficult to achieve with remote working unless tracking software is installed.
“There are very few female CEOs being vocal against this issue, this may be down to how different genders view workplaces and their purpose differently, or working mums seeing the benefits of flexible work options that allow them to be productive in professional and family settings.”
Should home based estate agent jobs be a thing of the past?
Stuart Rose’s comments about working from home being less productive and not “proper work” are laughable and completely blinkered. I’ve been predominantly working from home since 1994 and exclusively since 2009, and my productivity hasn’t suffered one bit—quite the opposite.
Since 2020, with the rise of video meetings and platforms like Zoom, I don’t need to travel 220 miles to Oxford Circus just to have a short but industry-defining meeting. Removing the commute has saved countless hours, reduced stress, and allowed for greater focus on actual work that matters.
To be so dismissive of remote working ignores the huge efficiencies it brings for jobs that don’t need a physical presence. Of course, some roles benefit from being in the office, but to paint all home workers as unproductive or failing in personal development is insulting and embarrassingly out of touch.
It’s not about where you work; it’s about the results you achieve. The world has moved on, and comments like these just show a failure to adapt to modern ways of working.
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If I commute into the office in a packed train for 45 minutes each way you lose what equates to 7hr30 a week where I would normally be working just to travel time.
Not to mention I’m infinitely more inclined to work late into the night from home whereas knowing I still need to suffer a commute home in the dark and cold means I’ll be out the office door as soon as office hours are over.
The push for office based work isn’t necessarily bad, I personally believe a hybrid model is the best option, but this blinkered view of WFH means people aren’t working is nonsense. It just reflects bad management, training, and hiring practices in this modern era on behalf of the bosses stuck in the 90s demanding it.
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I agree, get off your backsides and get to work
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There is no doubt productivity has crashed since lockdown and the move to WFH, especially in the public sector, many of whom are still paid £000s in London Weighting, even though they refuse to travel to their offices.
But it’s more than that, because WFH has a disastrous impact on young employees just starting out on their work journey. For example, young people need to develop through example, close monitoring of their work, and mentoring. They need to be able to learn how to cope with criticism and frustration among colleagues. They need to understand the dynamics of the workplace. Zoom is no replacement for any of this.
I can see a case for hybrid working, but only if it doesn’t affect productivity. But if your employer wants you in the office and you don’t want to, then find another job. Apparently, part of the justification for agreeing to WFH was employees would leave if they don’t get it. Well, give it a go if your so confident.
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Agreed. Young people often struggle if WFH. Training is more difficult, there is nobody to “grandfather” them in and many are too worried to phone a more senior person, in case they are considered to be thick. Humans are generally social creatures, so many people suffer from the isolation of not seeing anyone all day.
Robert May has been in the business for a very long time, so doesn’t need assistance from a colleague sitting at the desk next door.
It is almost impossible to get anyone on the phone at our local Council as most of their staff WFH and , with phones are only manned between 10 and 1. Is this really Public service? The Council closed lots of office buildings and has since tried to get workers in, but many have refused.
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My belief is that the overall thrust of Stuart Rose’s view is incorrect.
SOME people are able to be more productive working from an office and some are not. It depends on the job requirements and most importantly the individual concerned.
As for the question…
” Should home based estate agent jobs be a thing of the past? ”
NO… It shouldn’t be and won’t be!
The rise and rise of agents using the self employed model is evidence of this.
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