Martha Stewart has slammed companies for allowing their employees to work from home, saying it will lead America “to the abyss”.
Stewart, 81, shared her candid thoughts on remote work in an interview with Footwear News published Monday, arguing that people “may not be able to get everything done if they’re in the office three days a week and remote two days.”
The 80-year-old chef, author, TV personality and media mogul detailed her busy work schedule, even revealing that she has “continued to work five days a week” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Stewart is worth an estimated $400 million through her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire, which operates in publishing, broadcasting and product lines.
The entrepreneur’s comments come at a time when more companies are offering their employees a hybrid working model, and many are requiring them to come only two and a half days a week.
Martha Stewart, 81, shared her candid thoughts on remote work in an interview with Footwear News. She is pictured at the release of the 2023 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on May 18, 2023 in New York
Stewart is worth an estimated $400 million through her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire. She is pictured delivering a tribute to the late talk show host Larry King during the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 25, 2021
Stewart compared the current American approach to cooperation with France, calling it “not a very prosperous country”.
She pointed out that many French companies allow their employees to take longer breaks from work during the summer months – many of which receive 30 days of paid leave a year.
“Look at France’s success with their stupid… you know, in August, blah blah blah,” Stewart said.
‘It’s not a very prosperous country.’ Should America go down the drain because people don’t want to work anymore?’
The founder of Martha Stewart Living told the publication that she’s “on the fringes” of getting people back into the office.
Last month it was revealed that the number of companies offering their employees the opportunity to work from home has risen again compared to the last three months.
Data from Scoop Technologies shows that the number of companies requiring full-time office work fell from 49 percent in March to just 42 percent in May.
The index of almost 4,500 companies found that companies require only 2.5 days in the office from flexible workers.
It was revealed last month that the number of companies offering their employees the opportunity to work from home has risen again compared to the previous three months (file image).
Stewart compared the current American approach to cooperation with France, calling it “not a very prosperous country”. She is pictured at the release of the 2023 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on May 18, 2023 in New York
Stewart is just the latest celebrity to call working from home a disaster for the company.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk in May condemned working from home as “morally wrong” and said the practice was unfair to service workers who have to show up anyway.
Musk, who is the second richest person in the world at around $175.8 billion, has often criticized working from home, which has become a necessity for many during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
The Twitter boss referred to Silicon Valley’s tech workers as the “laptop classes that live in the la-la country” in an interview with CNBC last month.
He told the broadcaster’s David Faber that he believes office work increases productivity, but said his opposition to working from home is a “moral issue”.
“The whole work from home thing is kind of, I think there are a few exceptions, but I kind of think the whole idea of work from home is a little, you know,…” fake Quote from Marie Antoinette: “Let them eat cake,” he said to Faber.
Tesla boss Elon Musk last night (pictured) condemned working from home as “morally wrong” and said the practice was unfair to service workers who have to show up anyway
“It’s like, is it really?” You’re going to work from home and get everyone else who made your car to work at the factory? You want people who prepare your food to be delivered – they can’t work from home? The people who come fix your house? You can’t work from home, but can you?’
“Does that appear morally right?” he asked. “This is messed up.”
“It’s a productivity issue, but it’s also a moral issue.” People should get off their damn moral horse with this crap because they’re telling everyone else not to work from home meanwhile. It is wrong.’