Today, I came across a news story that caught my attention. It mentioned the ex-head of ASDA claiming that working from home isn’t “proper” working and is causing a decline in productivity. I have to say, I strongly disagree with this perspective.
For me, working from home has been a game-changer in terms of productivity. Let me paint you a picture: Instead of standing on a freezing cold train platform for 15 minutes (or longer if the train is delayed), I can start my day feeling fresh and ready to tackle my tasks. Train operators, who certainly don’t work from home, often fail to deliver on time, which in itself contradicts the argument that physical presence equals productivity. And the experience doesn’t get better once the train arrives. Imagine standing in a packed train, overheating from the stifling heat, only to rush onto the tube and squeeze into another packed train for another 30 minutes. By the time I would reach the office, my energy is already drained—and I haven’t even started working yet.
This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about efficiency. The time saved on commuting can be invested in meaningful work or even in personal well-being, which ultimately boosts productivity. I believe the issue here isn’t that working from home isn’t working. Rather, it’s that some people are still clinging to outdated ideas of what “work” should look like. For decades, we’ve been conditioned to believe that being productive means traveling into the same building, having endless meetings about work, and then heading home only to repeat the cycle the next day. But the world is changing, and so are the ways we work.
I’d be willing to bet that the ex-boss of ASDA never had to endure the kind of commutes I’ve described or tried to code an application while six colleagues stood nearby having an unrelated meeting. If they had, they might see the value in remote work. Working from home is new for many people, but that doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. In fact, it works remarkably well for certain types of jobs and individuals.
The key takeaway here is that we shouldn’t dismiss working from home just because it’s different from traditional office work. Instead, we should embrace this shift and recognize that productivity isn’t about where you work but how you work. Remote work isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but for many people and industries, it’s a powerful way to achieve better results and a healthier work-life balance. The real challenge is for leaders to adapt to this new normal and support their teams in finding what works best for them.
