What Reform has actually put forward.

I think the current pension fiasco (some not receiving pensions until 6 months after retirement) is indicative of the working from home culture. All government depts should work in the office!!!

I saw an article about this a few days ago with comments underneath. My favourite was ' I've taken the batteries out of my biological clock and put them in my vibrator' 😂

Doodledog

This is one of those situations where one size will never fit all. There is no real 50/50 on views - either it works for a particular role or it doesn't. Of course there can be expectations for everyone to go in 2 days a week for meetings or whatever, but the act of wfh is the same whether it would suit you (generic) me or anyone else. It suited me long before Covid to spend some time wfh, as it meant that I could work uninterrupted by colleagues and students, and power through marking or research. At other times I had to be on site. Obviously for lectures and meetings - few people used Zoom or Teams then - and to be available to students. I was perfectly capable of deciding for myself when to do what, and would have resented someone else thinking they knew better than I did about what was appropriate for me.

As ever, where Farage is concerned I would follow the money. What is his financial interest in office blocks and/or places where office workers shop for coffee and go for lunch? There has to be some reason why he can possibly want a blanket policy for something as varied as 'workplaces in Britain'.

There are comments on news sites from individuals who are clearly jealous of people who have jobs that enable them to wfh - usually couched in 'what about all those who can't do it?' terms that take zero account of logic, and others who take an 'I had to commute for 40 years, so why shouldn't they?' approach, which is equally idiotic. Modern technology allows some people to wfh, so why shouldn't they if they want to?

If someone prefers the social side of working with others, they should be able to go in, and should seek employment that makes it likely that others will do likewise, but if someone else finds that they can get the job done and still be able to make their domestic life work, then they should have that option, too. If for some reason people are unable to find the role that suits them, that is unfortunate, but no reason to deny others the option to do what works for them. Having others work at home reduces the amount of traffic on the roads/passengers on buses and trains, so makes life easier for those who have to be on site in any case.

If the job is not getting done because the worker is at home and not working, that is for management to deal with. I am not suggesting that people should have free rein to laze about, but I think it is important to recognise that not everyone in an office is pulling their weight either. Many discussion boards with younger members are busiest during office hours, and have been for as long as I have been using them (early 2000s). Many people book holidays, order shopping, post on MN (and elsewhere) and more during working hours in the office - skiving is not confined to working from home.

How would Farage impose a ban on wfh anyway? Many workplaces have closed offices or reduced the number of workstations.

I completely agree. The few people that don’t work hard whilst wfh are the very same people who didn’t work hard when in the office! Easily fixed if they have attentive and professional line managers.

I'm allowed to work from home a couple of days a week but I've chosen not to because I don't think I can do the job I can do from home as effectively. I'm also called upon to support other teams and/or my own staff.

It is useful though if feel under the weather to work from home remotely but I suppose this brings its own problems wrt not ever fully having a break to rest and recuperate.

It is nice to have the option though

Also, I dislike TEAMS meetings. I think they are fine to discuss certain things but I am always really uncomfortable discussing confidential matters via TEAMS as you don't know who is in the room etc

Reply to Graphite Sun 15-Feb-26 12:28:11
The comparison with the Lebensborn programme is strong language, but it’s worth remembering what that programme represented. It wasn’t simply about encouraging certain families to have children, it was rooted in the belief that culture and national identity were biologically inherited and that some groups were inherently incapable of belonging.

Nazi ideology didn’t just promote racism; it rejected the idea that people could learn, assimilate, or share in a national culture. “Aryan” identity was treated as something carried in blood, not something civic or cultural.

When contemporary political rhetoric implies that national identity or social value is tied to ancestry rather than shared citizenship, it inevitably echoes elements of that thinking. That’s why people react strongly to it.

Whether that's Reform's view, I'm not sure. However, in America we have seen the ICE programme on the one side and stripping out of women's reproductive rights on the other and Reform does seem to be setting out much the same stall.

It’s when you add together the things he has said that you get a picture of what this candidate actually thinks, rather than isolated bits of his output.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-matt-goodwin-gorton-denton-children-women-b2918340.html
He certainly wouldn’t be somebody I’d vote for in any circumstances.

My prediction is that many organisations will organise in such a way that some in person working is required, there does seem to be a bit of a shift lately.

I have done both cossy, and am currently in a team that does a mixture. That is why I am discussing the advantages and disadvantages.

This is one of those situations where one size will never fit all. There is no real 50/50 on views - either it works for a particular role or it doesn't. Of course there can be expectations for everyone to go in 2 days a week for meetings or whatever, but the act of wfh is the same whether it would suit you (generic) me or anyone else. It suited me long before Covid to spend some time wfh, as it meant that I could work uninterrupted by colleagues and students, and power through marking or research. At other times I had to be on site. Obviously for lectures and meetings - few people used Zoom or Teams then - and to be available to students. I was perfectly capable of deciding for myself when to do what, and would have resented someone else thinking they knew better than I did about what was appropriate for me.

As ever, where Farage is concerned I would follow the money. What is his financial interest in office blocks and/or places where office workers shop for coffee and go for lunch? There has to be some reason why he can possibly want a blanket policy for something as varied as 'workplaces in Britain'.

There are comments on news sites from individuals who are clearly jealous of people who have jobs that enable them to wfh - usually couched in 'what about all those who can't do it?' terms that take zero account of logic, and others who take an 'I had to commute for 40 years, so why shouldn't they?' approach, which is equally idiotic. Modern technology allows some people to wfh, so why shouldn't they if they want to?

If someone prefers the social side of working with others, they should be able to go in, and should seek employment that makes it likely that others will do likewise, but if someone else finds that they can get the job done and still be able to make their domestic life work, then they should have that option, too. If for some reason people are unable to find the role that suits them, that is unfortunate, but no reason to deny others the option to do what works for them. Having others work at home reduces the amount of traffic on the roads/passengers on buses and trains, so makes life easier for those who have to be on site in any case.

If the job is not getting done because the worker is at home and not working, that is for management to deal with. I am not suggesting that people should have free rein to laze about, but I think it is important to recognise that not everyone in an office is pulling their weight either. Many discussion boards with younger members are busiest during office hours, and have been for as long as I have been using them (early 2000s). Many people book holidays, order shopping, post on MN (and elsewhere) and more during working hours in the office - skiving is not confined to working from home.

How would Farage impose a ban on wfh anyway? Many workplaces have closed offices or reduced the number of workstations.

AGAA4

Yes I agree that for most young people just starting out working with others may be beneficial and that is where choice comes in.
People should be able to decide what works for them and not be forced to work at an office if it isn't essential that they do so.

👏👏👏👏

LizzieDrip

“In 2023, the GB News presenter and former academic [Matt Goodwin] called for the introduction of "a ‘negative child benefit’ tax for those who don’t have offspring".

In other words, those who don’t have children should pay an additional tax as a punishment.

Whatever happened to choice, not to mention the heartbreaking situation of those unable to have children - do they deserve to be ‘punished’ twice?

Absolutely disgusting, despicable little man!

That’s utterly disgusting, what a despicable odious little man!

Aside from choice, there’s whole swathes of women unable to bear children!

Galaxy

Lots of concerns around young people in particular, lack of social networks when starting work, lack of mentors, etc.
A number of my team started the job during covid ( so all done remotely) they still talk about how awful it was.

My daughter, a civil servant, works from home and loves it, she’s 25, she’s done both, they still attend the office for “big” meetings and for conferences etc and normally also go in one day a week. With Teams and Zoom available and daily morning planning meetings it’s very easy to build rapport with colleagues.

I was a CS too for the 14 years of my working life, for my last 18 months I spent with a national team, none of us had met in person, we built up great working relationships and I’m still in touch with two of them regularly even though I retired back in 2022.

Don’t knock it if you’ve not tried it, it’s not for everyone, but choice, where it’s possible, is a great thing.

“In 2023, the GB News presenter and former academic [Matt Goodwin] called for the introduction of "a ‘negative child benefit’ tax for those who don’t have offspring".

In other words, those who don’t have children should pay an additional tax as a punishment.

Whatever happened to choice, not to mention the heartbreaking situation of those unable to have children - do they deserve to be ‘punished’ twice?

Absolutely disgusting, despicable little man!

Galaxy

And whether I agree or not about the work from home stuff ( I actually think there are compelling arguments on both sides) I can cope with someone putting forward that argument.

I’m genuinely curious. If different working models suit different industries and businesses, what’s the justification for government proscribing two of them? Wouldn’t that remove flexibility and override how companies choose to organise themselves? Is that what you want from a government?

It depends on what one does.

Working in open plan environments can be counterproductive due to noise and time wasted on non-work chat.

People working on complex problems need to think. That’s impossible in a noisy environment where interruptions are frequent.

Reform seem to have a problem with people who don’t work while wanting to resist/change initiatives which enable more people to work. They are all so wealthy and privileged, removed from the complex lives and responsibilities that others have to juggle.

Remote working has never been easier, making it possible for people who are disabled, can’t drive, have poor local transport, have social anxiety, caring responsibilities etc to work. It allows businesses to offer services outside of office hours, sometimes 24/7. Better for the environment all round to have less people on the roads each day. But then Reform doesn’t give a damn about the environment.

Reform wants to put up barriers to work and turn the clock back to the 1950s. Why would that be? Perhaps its because Farage “doesn’t do computers” so doesn’t understand the technology that has made remote working possible.

What I do remember from the 1950s and early 1960s is my family doing home assembly work. We assembled ball point pens from their component parts. It enabled my mother, who had been abandoned with two young children, to work and not claim National Assistance. My brother and I helped. We both grew up to have a very strong work ethic but needed our own space away from the distractions of other people. I wonder if that was something to do with it.

This Politician saying that workers should be in offices not at home, does he just happen to own, or be involved with, a company that just happens to rent out office accommodation?
Just asking.

Yes I agree that for most young people just starting out working with others may be beneficial and that is where choice comes in.
People should be able to decide what works for them and not be forced to work at an office if it isn't essential that they do so.

Many people find working remotely very isolating, it is fascinating to watch the team I work with when we hold meetings remotely and in person. The difference in terms of social interaction are quite stark.
Many organisations particularly in care, children's services, place different teams together in the sane building in order to support multi agency working. Those day to day encounters frequently oil the wheels of that kind of co operation.

AGAA4

Do women need to be told by Reform that our fertility declines as we age. Typical patronising men.
Many women successfully have children later in life. Their choice. We aren't just breeders to suit a political party's views.

People working in offices I think spend a lot of time chatting about things that are not work related whereas at home there isn't that distraction. No time taken up commuting either.

What I want to know is why Goodwin feels it to be incumbent upon himself to state the bl**ding obvious about women's fertility?

One might think that this 'fact' only appeals to those who think that white women should stay at home and have babies. I can't see it having much effect on persuading people to vote for him...

Galaxy

Well yes but there are coherent arguments against working from home, or in favour or 50/50 or whatever.

What coherent argument for working in an office?

Lots of concerns around young people in particular, lack of social networks when starting work, lack of mentors, etc.
A number of my team started the job during covid ( so all done remotely) they still talk about how awful it was.

Kandinsky

*Matt Goodwin said on his YouTube channel in November 2024 that "many women in Britain are having children much too late in life*

That’s hardly controversial though is it.

Key Age-Related Factors & Recommendations
Best Fertility Years:
Late teens to late 20s offer the highest chances of conception (roughly 92% within one year).

Age 35+: Fertility declines, and risks of complications (such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and chromosomal abnormalities) increase.

Age 40+: There is a higher risk of stillbirth and a greater likelihood of needing a C-section.

I’ll throw you over a few more straws to clutch at DaisyAnneReturns

It’s none of his business, as woman we don’t need to be told of the dangers etc., we are clever enough to work these out for ourselves.

Frankly, sorry if this sounds pedantic, but I don’t think ANY man has the right to draw attention to these things, especially not a hypocritical wannabe political (idiot) figure!

It is OUR choice when and how we have our babies. OUR choice to have, or not have babies. OUR choice, not men who haven’t, nor are likely to, met us!

Well yes but there are coherent arguments against working from home, or in favour or 50/50 or whatever.

AGAA4

Do women need to be told by Reform that our fertility declines as we age. Typical patronising men.
Many women successfully have children later in life. Their choice. We aren't just breeders to suit a political party's views.

People working in offices I think spend a lot of time chatting about things that are not work related whereas at home there isn't that distraction. No time taken up commuting either.

Better for the environment, too. But that won’t matter to Reform, will it, with their Trump like attitude.

Do women need to be told by Reform that our fertility declines as we age. Typical patronising men.
Many women successfully have children later in life. Their choice. We aren't just breeders to suit a political party's views.

People working in offices I think spend a lot of time chatting about things that are not work related whereas at home there isn't that distraction. No time taken up commuting either.