A NUMBER of Scottish firms have criticised the BBC for allowing staff to work from home for most of the week.
The businesses serving BBC Scotland’s headquarters in Glasgow told The Times that the corporation's move to a work from home model has left them struggling to survive.
It comes as a freedom of information request by the newspaper also revealed that many of the BBC’s 1200 staff in Scotland do not need to be in the office more than two days a week.
For example, an Italian restaurant nearby said its Friday lunchtime bookings more than halved since the policy took effect.
Max Camerada, manager of La Fiorentina restaurant on Paisley Road West, said: “We used to get BBC workers in here all the time. The fact that people are working from home means they are not coming here.
“Friday lunchtime used to be the busiest day of the week. We are an award-winning restaurant and we used to see 50 to 60 covers as people got ready for the weekend. But now, we’re lucky if we see 25.”
Meanwhile, the owner of a local pub said their family business is struggling as a result.
The BBC said: “We try and offer flexibility with hybrid working and this is balanced with business needs and how we best deliver for our audiences.
“Many roles across the BBC require staff to be in full-time, while others can be carried out through a split of remote and office working.”
