Is working from home proper work?

President Trump and his team clearly hold similar views, having directed the “substantial majority” of US federal employees who have been working remotely to return to the office.

Some leading UK companies have also recently announced that they require head office staff to be in the office every day.

There are, however, plenty of voices who consider that offering workers a degree of flexibility over where they work – typically in the shape of hybrid working – is beneficial for their well-being without compromising productivity.

The UK Government is supportive of this approach and has included measures to strengthen the right to request flexible working in the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

Roughly half the British workforce work from home at least some of the time, but that leaves an equal number of workers who don’t have that option.

The welcome growth in flexibility for jobs that were formerly 100 per cent office-based carries the risk of creating a ‘two-tier’ workforce, making it more difficult to recruit and retain staff working in frontline roles.

One key question is whether employers can offer workers who cannot do their job from home a degree of flexibility and autonomy to make their roles more attractive and offset the lack of choice over where they work.

A recent study by social consultancy Timewise has illustrated that with determination and ingenuity positive changes can be made. Examples include giving workers a greater voice in scheduling work and ‘cross-skilling’ to build capacity to accommodate more flexibility in working patterns.

The position of each employer is likely to be more nuanced than the polarised debate in the media would suggest. Our domestic law on flexible working is increasingly pointing employers in the direction of allowing employees flexibility where they possibly can.

But even after the changes the Government is planning to make, the law will stop far short of requiring employers to allow office staff to work from home in all circumstances.