BBC Apprentice star Lord Alan Sugar has caused controversy with his comments on people who work from home post-pandemic, labelling them "lazy gits" in a series of tweets.
Lord Sugar posted a string of tweets to his 5.2m followers blasting people who are still working from home, saying he shows people the door if they ask about home working in an interview.
Millions of workers across Ireland and the UK still work from home since the pandemic and rave about the work-life balance they have, the eradication of the lengthy commute and the flexibility it offers.
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Lord Sugar, however, sees it differently and began his tirade on the home worker on Monday as he responded to the story of a £1.5b government office in the UK left empty with thousands of workers still working from home.
He said: "Lazy gits watching golf and tennis at home while they supposed to be working. We the tax payer are paying the. Get them back to the office or fire them."
Hundreds of people responded with one man saying, "It's amazing how far behind you are with current times, considering you’re a billionaire. People who work from home are more productive, which you'd know if you remove your head out of your backside long enough to see."
Lord Sugar responded to him by saying, "Listen scum bag most who work from home watch more TV than work. There are a few exceptions but the majority are lazy gits. When some of my companies recruit the first question asked by some applicants is "can I work from home". They are shown the door."
Others agreed with the Apprentice boss with one Twitter user admitting, "I'm not more productive, I think I just lack the self-discipline. I have a proper quiet workstation in the back room, but I come downstairs for a coffee and get continuously distracted. I also end up "I'll just finish this....." and working hours extra unpaid."
Responding to that comment, another woman added: "So, you're getting the same amount of work done, just in a different time frame? If you're drinking coffee on work time and working in your own time, you just need to sort the balance, or accept you are as productive, just working differently."
Another said: "Can only speak for myself but when I work from home I work till the job is complete. At the office I work till till 4:50,pack up n go at 5pm on the dot. At home I also work more efficiently because i control my environment and have less distractions than in an office."
Lord Sugar then boasted about how he is available at work almost 24/7, saying, "there is no scenario (apart from when I am sleeping) where I am unable to deal with things instantly no matter where I am in the world I am open 24/7."
Going further, he said: "I am working (minus sleeping) 24/7 unlike the lazy gits who say they are working from home who are not."
He resurrected the argument on Wednesday morning as he responded to a Good Morning Britain segment discussing whether or not people who work from home should be paid more or less.
The debate began with Tina Knight, the Chairman of Women into Business saying she didn't think people should be subsidised for working from home. In fact, she suggested wages should be cut because of the lack of travel costs.
The segment pondered whether people working from home should get paid a little more to heat their homes and tackle the cost of living as their companies save money on the same energy costs in offices.
Alan Sugar said: "GMB are saying people who work from home should be paid more to keep warm as companies are saving money while the worker are away. RUBBISH they have to pay rent, heating and rates with or without a full work place. People should be paid less they are saving travel costs"
A follower hit back again: "What people working from home, may save from traveling into work every day, are now putting it towards their energy cost. Swings and roundabouts."
Sugar replied: "Bloody hell, energy cost are going up and inflation of product costs are escalating if you work in a office or at home. Will you get real. One thing has nothing to do with another."
Another commenter told Lord Sugar he sounded "like an employer who looks after his staff with that attitude. Do you not understand losing a 1/4 of your wages just to fuel your home could leave people homeless as they can't afford it whilst trying to feed and clothe their kids? It's 2022 not 1822."
Replying, the business mogul said: "Escalating prices will effect every one those that work in offices and those who work from home. Don't confuse the two issues."
Lord Sugar said many workers don't have a choice and have to go to work.
He was not deterred by the blowback from some followers and once again used the "lazy gits" term as he posted: "A large percentage of people who work from home are lazy gits they got to like the life created by the pandemic. What about nurses, doctors, cleaners, restaurant staff, builders and decorators, taxi and truck drivers they cant work from home but provide the lazy gits a service."
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