The Thinking ‘Kat: Simping for Slavery
OK, so the title is somewhat dramatic, but there’s a nugget of truth to it. With Reform leader Nigel Farage running his mouth off about ending working from policies, it seems clear that he – and everyone dumbly nodding in agreement on social media – are simping for a family/work ‘balance’ that prefers the drudgery of work ahead of family life. What makes this even worse is that Farage’s remarks do not bear any resemblance to reality.
Working From Home: Is it Productive?
The short answer is yes. There is evidence that it can boost productivity by as much as 10%. Granted, this is not a certainty and it’s not applicable to all industries, and some studies have yielded mixed results, but is there enough to suggest that the concept should be scrapped? Hardly. There’s enough evidence to show that working from home can be of great benefit not only to productivity, but to the emotional well-being of employees. Some people work better in the peace and quiet of home, freed from distractions at the office.
A major factor behind why so many people prefer working from home is happiness. Removed from the daily commute (which can easily add an hour to someone’s day, if not more, to say nothing of cost), there are employees who find themselves enjoying their job more. Happier employees tend to be more productive (albeit with the caveat that different studies produce different outcomes). It’s a win-win, so why would employers wish to force everyone back to the office? A lot of people have been prepared to quit rather than be forced back, and others have been willing to take pay cuts to continue working from home. There’s a reason, and it’s a reason that the higher-ups don’t seem to even try to understand.
Who Actually Loses?
When the pandemic forced offices to close and turned remote-working into something more or less mandatory, the biggest losers were the companies that owned office blocks, followed by transport services. Were it to be determined that office work was unecessary, or at the very least not required to nearly the same degree, would businesses be willing to contine to pay rent and rates to the owners of offices? Who does this impact most? Some very rich and powerful people, who are in no hurry to see their revenue stream dry up. These people back the likes of Farage, so naturally, Farage is jumping to their tune.
The transport sector, from trains, buses and cars, does not benefit from a work-from-home society. Again, if no one is travelling to work, where does the money come from? This industry needs to incentivise politicians to push for a return to the office. It doesn’t matter if ordinary workers are freed from the burden of rising train fares and lengthy drives, now does it? When did this ever matter in the eyes of the elite? It certainly doesn’t seem to matter to the likes of Farage, who is simping very hard not for the average worker, but for the rich and powerful.
Additional Thoughts
Hampering workers’ rights whilst claiming to champion the average Brit is pretty-much Reform to a tee. Reform would take Britain out of the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights), which would blunt workers’ rights by extension. Ending work-from-home initiatives would do more harm than good to many, and it would actually hurt businesses too. Farage has also spoken of cutting the minimum wage for young people, hardly the edict of a man who wants to help the average Briton.
Farage is in it for the elite. He always has been. They’re the only ones who would benefit from a Reform government.
‘Kat Comments