British businessman Charlie Mullins sparks debate after claiming that working from home sets a bad example for children.
Charlie Mullins, the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, London’s largest independent plumbing company, has recently expressed his views on the disadvantages of working from home, Unilad reports.
In an interview for the Jeremy Vine show, the business tycoon said that while working from home, employees are often distracted by other things, such as going to the gym, having coffee, or watching Netflix. He insisted:
“Of course it’s a bad thing for children to be at home and just seeing their parents working from home. They’re not gonna wanna go in to the workplace. They’re gonna think that’s the normal – you don’t go to work, you sit at home, watch Netflix and do all your chores and all that.”
"People working from home that can go to work is the equivalent to drawing benefits when you should be at work"@CharlieM_OBE says working from home sets a bad example for kids and risks making more people unemployed in the long run.@adepstein1 | @jemmaforte | #JeremyVine pic.twitter.com/nUKTvhgTJx
— Jeremy Vine On 5 (@JeremyVineOn5) October 25, 2021
According to Mullins, people who don’t “need to” work from home should go back to their workplaces to “get the economy going.”
Women in Business chairperson Tina Knight agreed with the businessman’s beliefs on the subject. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, she said:
“It’s not the next generation, it’s here with us now. If you were to ask someone what they would like to do, everybody would like to work at home.”
Addressing Mullins’ views, she added:
“That has now set bad examples, you’ve got three generations of families now that have never gone to work, because it’s a mindset. [Mullins is] looking at that as the way things are going, the sense of entitlement of people nowadays is absolutely incredible.”
Does working from home set a bad example to children?
After business tycoon Charlie Mullins said says parents who work from home send the wrong message to their children, Chairman of Women into Business Tina Knight shares her views. pic.twitter.com/PeiOZhL7rC
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 25, 2021
However, not everyone agrees that working from home sets a bad example.
For instance, on the Jeremy Show, journalist Jemma Forte said:
“I think this rhetoric is absolutely ridiculous… I have many friends who have jobs where they’ve been working from home, and it’s been a very successful experience.”
Meanwhile, health entrepreneur Geeta Sidhu-Robb described Knight’s comments as “offensive.” She stated:
“I’ve been working from home for 18 years because my eldest son was very ill and I had to make the money to pay the bills and look after my children. I put three kids through private school, have built a business, and employ people. I get dressed in the morning and I come downstairs, treat it as an office, and put in eight to 10-hour days as my business needs it.”
The debate whether working from home is beneficial or not comes as more and more people are returning to the office following the pandemic outbreak. Social media users have also expressed their opinions on the theme, with many stressing that “working from home is still working.”
Honestly, if people can efficiently work from home, what’s the issue?
— Mark Collins (@Rocky_Raccoon1) October 25, 2021
Where do you stand on the matter? Is working from home bad for the economy? Let us know in the comment section!
