Alan Sugar says put a suit on, put a dress on, put your makeup on

[Dontmakemegoback2office]

Do your hair and get back into work..
All from the comfort of his own home. Mind blown.

www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nick-ferrari/lord-sugar-says-public-must-put-on-a-suit-put-on-a-dress-and-get-back-to-work/

Lord Alan is of course just worried about all these office blocks that he owns and rents out through Amshold and Amsprop in places like Mayfair being empty and the losses he will now incur due to the fact that we have found a better way to live and work.

The world is changing. Either adapt or disappear.

P.s. we are working Alan, just not in your offices. Because we can do it well from home.

Care to flesh out that 95% claim with any evidence?

As someone said further up the thread, wfh is great for us.
Don't have to pay out for after school care, can do school pick ups and spend more time as a family. We save on travel and don't have to put up with certain colleagues.

"Its like reverse snobbery. "

Nah, it's not. He's just a prick. The fact that he's rich has nothing to do with it.

I've just been told I can't go back to the office. I asked for 2 days and they said that if I can work from home for 3 days then I can do it for 5 so no return for me. I'm genuinely distraught by this, I have no real space at home so my monitors are always there. I have no headspace from a stressful job and I'm lonely and miserable.

Alan sugar can go fuck himself.

I usually work in the living room, I have a small table in the corner with a nice cloth and some candles. When I start work I spend five minutes clearing the table and lifting the cloth, before moving my work equipment monitor etc from underneath. When I've finished I reverse the process. It's a small thing but as a visual distinction between work/home life it makes a real difference.

I've been working from home for a year now and I love it.

Oh yes, imo, he can get to fuck! What gives him the right to dictate how I live my life. I don't work for him and don't remember anyone voting for him to represent them in Parliament.

I hear you OP and it’s quite possibly true that he has lots of real estate siting empty. I guess this is where cities are possibly headed. It is time to decide what to do with all these buildings including the high rises. I think the workplace model has made a change since Covid and some would say for the better?

I don't have a quiet space to work out of at home (3 DC aged 10 -14 at home, 2 dogs And a DH that works shifts) but find them less distracting than being in my office. I hope to never go back.

Is he suggesting that some people (presumably women, judging from what they look like on the Apprentice) should wear a dress and make-up to work?

Or would it be ok if some of his male employees rocked up in a frock?

I do think @Bbq1 may have some valid points. But let's have some research because your hunch might not be right.

I personally don't really like wfh but I do recognise the benefits. I can swim far more regularly now which is important for my health and mobility. I have worked closely in the past with a small number of permanent home workers and I can honestly say they were second to none! Best people, most productive I have ever worked with.

Let's do proper Research and analysis and see how people and employees feel.

It is time to decide what to do with all these buildings including the high rises.

I don't think it is time yet. There is still so much to ponder not to mention what happens with the virus.

Some companies have said everyone wfh, others are open but at diminished capacity due to social distancing but that is for the time being. What companies decide in the long term will determine office space use.

It is time to decide what to do with all these buildings including the high rises.

I guess the obvious thing is housing.

@jewel1968

I do think *@Bbq1* may have some valid points. But let's have some research because your hunch might not be right.

I personally don't really like wfh but I do recognise the benefits. I can swim far more regularly now which is important for my health and mobility. I have worked closely in the past with a small number of permanent home workers and I can honestly say they were second to none! Best people, most productive I have ever worked with.

Let's do proper Research and analysis and see how people and employees feel.

We also need some proper research as to how it affects the employer, customer service, efficiency, etc. At the moment, consumer customer service seems to be at an all time low. Phones are taking hours to be answered, live chat turned off - firms will be losing customers at an alarming rate unless they quickly sort it out. If some of that is down to WFH, then the firms need to address that. Employers can live with short term inefficiency, delay, etc., but long term it needs to be tackled. There's also the issue of staff "on the job" training which isn't happening with WFH - again, short term that's ok, but long term employers need a solution.

@Egghead68

It is time to decide what to do with all these buildings including the high rises.

I guess the obvious thing is housing.

A lot are owned by pension schemes. Housing is specifically banned for lots of pension schemes which only allow for commercial property investments. Some ex office blocks can be converted to hotels (which are commercial buildings), but there's a limit to how many hotels you can have. I foresee cities full of derelict office blocks in the same way we have towns full of derelict shops (which are likewise mostly owned by pension funds and suffer the same restriction). Perhaps the govt need to change the law to allow pension funds to invest in domestic homes? (Gordon Brown's proposals allowed for that, but he screwed it up and withdraw the domestic homes part of his legislation at the last minute!).

This is so ridiculous.

If you commute you normally have to pay many hundreds if not thousands of pounds a year from your salary on public transport.

You then have to spend several hours commuting which means you are tired, spend less time with your loved ones, are likely to be in environments that are unhealthy and more likely to spread illnesses and contribute towards pollution.

Most commutes mean travelling on dirty, overcrowded, public transport.

Why should anyone be forced to waste their money, time and health commuting into an office when most people have a much better quality of life with the option of working from home as well as saving lots of money.

We are always being told about climate change and a lot of pollution is caused by public transport, so surely this massively reduces pollution as the Government apparently want?

I think the only reason why so many big corporations are frothing about the change to wfh is because their investments will lose money. It has nothing to do with concern for peoples mental health, the environment or anything altruistic, it is basically that their previous one-way bet has gone awry. These companies have millions/billions and many of them avoid as much tax as possible so nobody should feel pressured to go back to the office if they have the choice to wfh. They need to do what is best for themselves and their families.

what a young person would get from being in an office they can’t get at home

@cosmicdoughnut

This is so ridiculous.

If you commute you normally have to pay many hundreds if not thousands of pounds a year from your salary on public transport.

You then have to spend several hours commuting which means you are tired, spend less time with your loved ones, are likely to be in environments that are unhealthy and more likely to spread illnesses and contribute towards pollution.

Most commutes mean travelling on dirty, overcrowded, public transport.

Why should anyone be forced to waste their money, time and health commuting into an office when most people have a much better quality of life with the option of working from home as well as saving lots of money.

We are always being told about climate change and a lot of pollution is caused by public transport, so surely this massively reduces pollution as the Government apparently want?

I think the only reason why so many big corporations are frothing about the change to wfh is because their investments will lose money. It has nothing to do with concern for peoples mental health, the environment or anything altruistic, it is basically that their previous one-way bet has gone awry. These companies have millions/billions and many of them avoid as much tax as possible so nobody should feel pressured to go back to the office if they have the choice to wfh. They need to do what is best for themselves and their families.

Lots of people don't commute.

Many households have two, or more, people wfh and the wfh logistics become difficult. DD and I are both wfh, but we're lucky we have two spare bedrooms, and we have one each to work from. There's no way we could both work from the kitchen table, or anywhere else in the house.

There are people who house share rented properties, where everyone will be wfh. There are people who just don't have the space. There are people who, if they weren't in an abusive relationship might be heading that way because of the time they are forced to spend together. There are people who live with other people who work for direct competitors.

Come the winter, household bills will increase: we are already using lots more toilet paper than we used to , but heating and lighting bills will increase too. This increase won't be offset by any fuel savings for those who only commute short distances to work, or get the bus, or walk.
It's possible to claim tax back if you're wfh, but there are insurance and mortgage implications if you go down this route, which may negate any benefit (I am yet to explore this properly).

Long term wfh just isn't workable for so many people for so many reasons.

I think it's wonderful. So many offices are cold and soulless, with no natural light, air con up too high, people corralled in little cubicles like cattle. People spending so many wasted stressful hours of their lives squished into trains, staring into space or clogging up the air with their cars to get there.

I have also WFH before and I LOVE it. This is the future. Flexibility, work-life balance, vibrant local communities, environmental benefits. If your home is not suitable or you prefer to get out and about then you could work in a local cafe, library or park. If you are lonely then team up with a friend or neighbour or meet a family member for lunch. Maybe we could have local facilities where workers in all different industries could make use of them. That would really inspire creativity!

Workers who are happy and feel that they are respected and trusted and have more control are more productive! Companies will save money on office space. People can live wherever suits them and their budgets rather than being chained to expensive areas. There are just so many massive positives and the will and momentum is so great, I don't think Alan or Boris or anyone is going to be able to turn back the tide.

Pret can get into deliveries, or they can open a branch in your local area, or even better maybe one of your neighbours will start up a little sandwich business.

I predict that the WFH revolution will be one of the positives to come out of this awful pandemic.

@help1help

I think it's wonderful. So many offices are cold and soulless, with no natural light, air con up too high, people corralled in little cubicles like cattle. People spending so many wasted stressful hours of their lives squished into trains, staring into space or clogging up the air with their cars to get there.

I have also WFH before and I LOVE it. This is the future. Flexibility, work-life balance, vibrant local communities, environmental benefits. If your home is not suitable or you prefer to get out and about then you could work in a local cafe, library or park. If you are lonely then team up with a friend or neighbour or meet a family member for lunch. Maybe we could have local facilities where workers in all different industries could make use of them. That would really inspire creativity!

Workers who are happy and feel that they are respected and trusted and have more control are more productive! Companies will save money on office space. People can live wherever suits them and their budgets rather than being chained to expensive areas. There are just so many massive positives and the will and momentum is so great, I don't think Alan or Boris or anyone is going to be able to turn back the tide.

Pret can get into deliveries, or they can open a branch in your local area, or even better maybe one of your neighbours will start up a little sandwich business.

I predict that the WFH revolution will be one of the positives to come out of this awful pandemic.

Jesus Christ.

I don't want to work in a cafe or library, how do you suggest I have confidential calls there? I don't think they'd want me setting up the two screens I need either. Not sure about the wifi in the park either...

Thankfully my company policy is we work from the office and working from home is the exception in normal times and they intend to carry this on. It doesn't matter you work from home or in an office, either a company will respect you or it won't.

If your home isn't suitable what on earth makes a cafe, library or park suitable? No proper office furniture or ability to use proper monitors, keyboards etc in any of those, confidentiality and connectivity issues and none of them are suitable for anything remotely approaching full time work.

WFH is definitely not a positive for many. I'm very glad to be back on site.

Just some other ideas! Many people work on laptops anyway and could do so just as well in a number of different, more comfortable or pleasant environments. My local library has comfy chairs, computers, desks where you can plug in, great wifi, as well as private meeting rooms you can book. Perhaps local facilities such as this could be expanded if there was a demand.

I think it's good for people to have choices! If you prefer working in an office, then great. Go right ahead! However I don't think everyone should be forced to or even encouraged to just because YOU want to.

@Heptember

I'm paraphrasing but he was on tv the other day saying something like 'now they're all working from home, they don't want to go back because they're enjoying it!'

Yeah god forbid anyone should enjoy themselves whilst working for a living, eh Alan?

Yes, and dinosaur managers like him are only secure when they have people bums-on-seats, lauding over them, when they aren't ensconced in their C-Suite, glass fronted offices on the 20th floor away from the worker bees, that is.

People like him, Nick Ferrari et al, think that just because people are working remotely it must mean they're never out of their PJs - well, here's the thing, I'm quite capable of showering and getting into some smart casual clothes when I'm at home, and will be just as capable to dress for work when I eventually do part-and-part home/office.

We're not the "great unwashed" you'd like to pigeonhole us as, Mr Sugar - and you're a fine one to talk, you look like you only shave once a week with all your face-fungus, you scruffy bugger.

Sir Alan wants to make sure the peasants don't get ideas above their station
he wants to get back to treating them like livestock ASAP

Surely it's possible.to find a balance in some ways

My niece is now going into the office twice a week but does the rest WFH. She loves it and says she gets far more done at home as she's not constantly being interrupted there. Then again she has no children to think of so once she turns the computer on she's working without problems.