Working from home has spawned a generation "not doing proper work", a former Marks & Spencer boss has said, writes Emily Hawkins.
Stuart Rose claimed a rise in remote working has caused the country's wellbeing and productivity to regress by two decades.
The retail veteran's criticism comes as the tide has been turning against working from home at many companies, which have insisted employees return to the office.
He said: "We are creating a whole generation and probably a generation beyond that of people who are used to actually not doing what I call proper work."
Rose, 75, suggested the UK could not afford to work from home and was "in a parlous place", adding: "We have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country's wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four."
His bleak reading of the economy comes as Rachel Reeves is this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos trying to salvage her flailing growth ambitions.
Firms additionally say they are pausing hiring after the Chancellor announced a £25bn increase to employers' National Insurance contributions.
Lord Rose also told BBC Panorama: "I believe that productivity is less good if you work from home.
"I believe that your personal development suffers, that you're not going to develop as well as you might if you've been in the workplace as long as I have."
JP Morgan, Amazon and Boots have said their staff must attend work in person five days a week.
The latest data showed 28 per cent of the UK workforce is in hybrid work, 13 per cent are fully remote and 44 per cent travel to the office.
The number working from home more than doubled between late 2019 and March 2022, from 4.7million to 9.9million.
Bosses are more likely to give pay rises and promotions to employees who are physically present, recruitment giant Reed found last month.
Nearly seven in ten firms said in-person staff regularly go further than those staying at home.
James Reed, the owner of Reed, said: "Business leaders have had enough of workers insisting they want to work from home most of the time.
"For those wanting to secure a good job, a promotion or pay rise, our research shows that employers clearly want people back in the office."
