Employers claim office returns are all about productivity without evidence
Sir, – Emmet Malone reports that employers cite productivity as the biggest factor driving their remote work policies (“ Hybrid working expected to become less flexible over next two years, research suggests ”, Business, September 23rd). Cited, yes. Measured, no. The research asked 404 businesses what worries them. It did not show output falling by a single percentage point since hybrid working began. We are told the early post-pandemic years were about accommodating employees. If productivity has slipped since then, show us the graph. Employers measure everything else to the decimal, so where is this figure? Meanwhile, workers are asked to stand on packed buses, crawl along the M50, and pay €2 a litre for petrol and €2.20 for diesel for the privilege of being watched at a desk. Produce the data and we can have a debate. Until then, this is preference dressed up as evidence. – Yours, etc, LIAM MURPHY, Burton Hall Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18.