Why do conservatives dislike remote working?

Flexible working has helped women progress in the workplace. Since 2019, the share of women working fulltime in the insurance and finance sectors in the UK rose from 75% to 83%. The rate for mothers in finance rose more than ten percentage points. Overall the share of mothers in work reached a record 79% in 2023.

Now bosses want their staff back in the office, with half of companies requiring their staff to attend at least four days a week. Many women have chosen not to. The employment rate for women with dependent children has fallen from its peak, while that for men has remained steady. By the end of 2023, the difficulty of balancing work and childcare had pushed an estimated 250,000 women out of the workforce, with a worrying spike among the 35-44 year age group in many critical sectors.

Is this why conservatives are really pushing for a return to the office?

Source: The Economist, 13 March 2025.

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Heartlander · 80-89, M

I didn’t realize that conservatives were against remote workers. I would think the decision to encourage or constrict it would be up to the employer. The discussion gets cloudy because the term “employee” has a legal definition that wasn’t defined by congress but by IRS administration and further defined by judges in courtrooms. There is even such a thing as a “statutory employee” as determined by a judge or government agency. Besides work performed by employees, whether on site or remotely, there is work performed by “independent contractors” which in many cases would more appropriately fit what many remote workers actually do.

Remote work performed by an “employee” has dozens of unresolved issues. Like is the employee covered by workers comp if he/she has an accident at home? Does OSHA have a responsibility to inspect the home for safety compliance? Does the employer have that responsibility? Can a work at home “employee” get away without a time clock to punch in and out? A lot of those concerns could be resolved if status changes from employee to that of independent contractor. Unfortunately, liberals in general oppose hired help being contracted rather than being employed.

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@Heartlander All of those issues seemed to resolve themselves quite satisfactorily in 2020-21 when necessity and survival were paramount.

The comment about conservatives was a personal observation based on reactions I get here when I post on the subject.

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@SunshineGirl I think it was ignored rather than resolved. Both employer and employees hesitated before rocking the boat. The remote worker population is generally non-union, so no one to rock the boat on their behalf.

I like the idea of going Independent Contractor for remote workers, and more money considering the need to pay self employment taxes and cover health care benefits. There is a serious need for a streamlined health care buy in system for independent contractors.

Aren’t there still laws on the books preventing garment workers from working remotely? Also, in France (I believe), workers are prohibited from taking work home. Curious to see how they worked around those restrictions during Covid

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@Heartlander In the UK, civil servants kept the country going from their kitchens snd living rooms. Clerical workers at HMRC (the main tax revenue department) worked 24 hours a day to ensure emergency grants got to those who needed them most and businesses were able to pay their rent and families were not evicted from their homes. Courts swiftly innovated with remote hearings and ensured that justice continued to be served. The NHS identified the most vulnerable individuals and kept them supplied with food parcels. It is an irony that while people are quick to criticise government when it does not work, they barely notice it the rest of the time.

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@SunshineGirl That worked in smaller cities and towns in the US. Big cities on the other hand are more like out of control monsters. Another issue being banking regulations that force banks to act on non-performing loans.

Many US cities are patchworks of overlapping jurisdictions. Like the school system has their own governing board, parks and rec may likewise, public housing likewise, the airport likewise. In some cases the local police department is independent and beyond the reaches of the city commissioners. A set-up for a "you're not the boss of me" food fight.

A close family member is a city official and they worked around the clock remotely to hold the city together during COVID. Of course city revenue declined at a time when the cost of running a city went up dramatically. Thankfully state and federal money were there to fill the gap. In the US, homelessness became a big issue after COVID, when state and federal moneys were no longer there to fill emergency needs, yet the economy had not yet recovered.