In a town-hall Zoom meeting that has since gone viral, a Utah CEO announced the end of remote work at his company, mandating that many of his remote employees return to the office. In his urging for people to make necessary sacrifices for the company, he questioned whether full-time caregivers -- specifically single and working mothers -- could also double as productive employees.
“Many of you have tried to tend your own children and doing so also managed your demanding work schedules and responsibilities,” James Clark, CEO of a digital marketing company called Clearlink said. “And while I know you're doing your best -- some would say they have even mastered this art -- but one could also argue that this path is neither fair to your employer, nor fair to those children.”
An edited version of the video, which was first posted to Reddit April 18, has gone viral on Youtube as well.
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“I don't necessarily believe that, but I do believe that only the rarest of full-time caregivers can also be a productive employee at the same time,” Clark said, adding that "there are only so many waking hours in each day and it is this value-for-value exchange that is rarely optimized.”
In a statement made to CNN, Clearlink declined to comment on the intense reaction the internet has had to Clark’s remarks, instead reiterating that the company has recently announced a return-to-the-office policy.
Notwithstanding the CEO's call for people to return to the the office, Clearlink lists several openings for "Inside Sales Associate - Work From Home," on its website. The positions are open in Arizona, Florida, Texas, Idaho and Utah. Clearlink promotes benefits as well, saying "in addition to observing national holidays, we provide a generous paid-time-off policy which reflects our belief that we should work to live, not the other way around."
