Flexible working | Chancellor says WFH may hurt productivity - research says otherwise

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, says working from home could reduce the chance of boosting economic productivity, despite her party’s plans to introduce new legislation giving workers greater rights around flexible working.

While most economists agree that higher productivity is crucial for improving living standards over time, the impact of remote working on productivity remains uncertain. Speaking in an interview with LBC radio on Monday, ahead of her speech at Labour’s annual party conference, Reeves expressed concerns that remote working could make it more difficult to drive efficiency.

"I am all for being flexible and making sure that people can be able to balance work and family life, but I do think that productivity gains are more likely to happen when you have that sharing of ideas and bringing that together," she said.

Reeves pointed out that her team had benefited from working in the office over the weekend after she assumed the role of finance minister, as opposed to conducting meetings virtually.