Forcing workers onto “packed, overpriced trains” was the sharpest Yes argument, but it lost the vote: No won by nearly four to one. The mismatch matters — the most-respected case on the page belonged to the losing side, while No supplied the louder chorus.
No voters were chiefly defending managerial discretion, not abolishing home working. Their strongest formulation was blunt: “As an employee you work for an employer, who chooses what you do for the pay you receive”; another dismissed the proposal as “lawfare against business owners”.
Yes voters mostly argued for a conditional right in jobs where remote work is viable, rather than for refuse collectors or nurses working from spare rooms. One set the boundary clearly: “If work performance is poor, i.e. standards are not met, then employee could be compelled to work from the office.” The two sides often talked past each other: Yes heard “default” as a protection for feasible roles, while No heard a universal legal claim.
That leaves the vote inside the wider argument over whether employment rights should set a floor or leave working arrangements to contracts and employers — a live question as ministers prepare tighter rules around refusals. The Yes case also framed flexibility as “an equity issue”, particularly for disabled workers and people with caring responsibilities, but that moral claim did not overcome the room’s preference for discretion.
The settled position was narrower than the headline: flexibility, yes; entitlement, no.
37 Opinions
If a role can be done from a laptop, forcing workers onto packed, overpriced trains just to sit on Zoom calls is counterproductive. Completely different if workers have an operational reason to be on site. For perspective, I simply don't have an office I go to, I work from home / on the road and not once have I, or to my knowledge, any of my colleagues / employees pretended to be working when not... I think we need to do away with this archaic idea of presenteeism
No and the govt should stop telling employers how their employees will work. Outside of necessary employment regulations, the govt should just get the hell out of the way
As an employee you work for an employer, who chooses what you do for the pay you receive. If you don’t like it, find another job, or start your own business
Another way for workshy ne'er-do-wells to use lawfare against business owners.
From my own experience, for roles where it’s possible to work from home, there’s been no difference to the output and quality of work produced. There’s fewer sick days, better morale and the team are far less tired. They also spend less on commuting and don’t waste as much time on it. It’s also a helpful option for those with disabilities. WFH tends to bother those who own office space and are not getting the same rent they were pre-pandemic.
Obviously there are some frontline roles that cannot be carried out at home, so my yes is conditional on it being a logistical possibility in the first place. However being able to work from home has enabled me as someone with MS to continue to work full time where I would not have been able to manage a daily commute. Working from home is an equity issue. It helps women balance caring responsibilities, enables many disabled people to work more sustainably, reduces commuting.
A default right? No. Not every job can be done from home but where they can, there should be an option to do so, which isn't a problem if it is beneficial to either employee, employer or both. If there is no detriment to the employer why wouldn't they allow it. They know if work is being done & if employees can be trusted. The demonisation of those who work from home needs to stop.. It seems to be based on the false premise that those who work from home are feckless & lazy.
Everyone in the Civil Service should have to go into the office. Every day. They work for us and they need reminding of that.
The amount of money that companies and the public could save on renting offices is ridiculous. Working from Home had a proven record of increasing job satisfaction, productivity, and decreasing stress and other health conditions. Obviously some prefer to work in the office so offer hybrid as well.
Nurses, judges, doctors, teachers can’t work from home so why should everyone else be allowed.Hybrid working arrangements should be done on a case by case basis. Plus if your single it’s a very lonely existence!