Return to the office: is working from home coming to an end?

More and more employers want their staff to return to the office. Is it a good idea?

Woman working at office
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jamie Dimon thinks remote working is a disaster. The JPMorgan boss recently told staff they were “wasting their time” by signing a petition opposing his order that all staff should return to full-time office working. The bank is no longer prepared even to offer hybrid working, whereby staff split their time between the home and the office. It’s a growing trend, with more US and UK companies now joining the backlash against remote and hybrid working practices. Staff working from home don’t always pull their weight; they complain; and don’t contribute to the organisation’s culture or its spirit of collaboration.

Still, many employees still want to work remotely, at least sometimes. This is important to eight in 10 British workers, so changing policy may hit recruitment and retention. And all staff can request flexible working arrangements from day one in the job.

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David Prosser
Business Columnist

David Prosser is a regular MoneyWeek columnist, writing on small business and entrepreneurship, as well as pensions and other forms of tax-efficient savings and investments. David has been a financial journalist for almost 30 years, specialising initially in personal finance, and then in broader business coverage. He has worked for national newspaper groups including The Financial Times, The Guardian and Observer, Express Newspapers and, most recently, The Independent, where he served for more than three years as business editor.