The BBC has heard from a whole bunch of people that have been angered by feedback by the previous boss of M&S and Asda that working from house is “not correct work”.

In an interview with Panorama, Lord Rose told the BBC that house working was a part of the UK economic system’s “normal decline” and workers’ productiveness was struggling.

Greater than 350 individuals, the vast majority of whom help working from house, contacted the BBC with their tales.

One in all them was Alba, 52, from Dorking, who’s presently trying to find a distant job. “We aren’t lazy. We do not need to golf all day.”

Alba, who beforehand labored as a enterprise administrator, lives with persistent ache, journey illness and migraines, and says she must do business from home to handle her situation.

“I simply desire a comfy surroundings the place I can cope with my well being points,” she says.

Out of 357 responses submitted by people who selected to contact the BBC, 250 individuals stated working from house was important, with many citing well being points as a key cause for versatile working.

“I am not in senior administration, I am not asking for a excessive wage, I simply do not need to be on illness advantages and that is what is going to occur if I am unable to do business from home,” says Alba.

She provides that her well being points as soon as resulted in an ambulance being referred to as at work.

Clare McNeil, director at Timewise, a consultancy specialising in versatile working insurance policies, highlights that the advantages of distant work prolong to employers as properly, with such insurance policies lowering employees turnover and illness absence.

Mark Mortensen, affiliate professor of organisational behaviour on the enterprise faculty INSEAD, says defining productiveness could be difficult, notably in artistic and collaborative roles.

However Rebecca Mitchell, 38, a software program engineer from London, says the distinction in her productiveness at work has been “drastic” since she began working from house 10 years in the past.

Rebecca, who has ADHD, says that earlier than working remotely, she struggled to remain employed.

“Working from an workplace provides an excessive amount of stress and results in a wealth of psychological well being points for me,” she says.

She says that whereas earlier than, she felt ignored for profession development due to her incapacity, since working from house her wage has tripled.

“Autism and ADHD are solely now being accepted. Folks perceive neurodivergence now like they did not earlier than.

“Folks like me depend on working from house so as to be a productive a part of the workforce.”

The shift in direction of working from house has elevated within the UK because the begin of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Whereas the pattern in working solely from house has fallen since 2021, a hybrid-working mannequin – some days travelling to work and a few days working at house – has turn into the brand new regular for many individuals.

In line with a snapshot survey from the Office for National Statistics, 25% of working adults in Nice Britain have been hybrid working in January 2025, whereas 15% have been working from house. The information reveals the place individuals stated they have been engaged on the day they accomplished the survey, reasonably than their wider working sample.

However, of the BBC’s responses, 50 have been in opposition to working from house.

A kind of was Hannah, 31, a technical help supervisor in Birmingham.

After the pandemic, her employer shut down all its workplaces so she needed to work remotely full-time. She says this has taken a toll on her psychological, bodily and monetary well being, prompting her to contemplate altering careers and shifting home to enhance her state of affairs.

“It appears like I am in a lockdown that is by no means going to finish,” she says.

Lord Rose, who just lately stepped down as Asda’s chairman, informed the BBC: “We’ve regressed on this nation when it comes to working practices, productiveness and the nation’s wellbeing.”

For Hannah, who’s single, distant work has left her feeling remoted.

“All of the individuals who love working from house are in relationships, or have kids, reside with household – they don’t seem to be 100% alone on a regular basis like me.”