Martha Stewart Says the U.S. Might 'Go Down the Drain' if Remote Work Continues. Is She Right?

Before the pandemic took hold, remote work was a privilege only select employees got to enjoy. But in 2020, countless workers were told to pack up their desks, head home, and prepare to work remotely for the foreseeable future.

The foreseeable future quickly morphed into three years and counting for a lot of people. These days, many employers are continuing to allow workers to do their jobs remotely. Some are mandating a return to an office, but only for part of the week.

For many people, remote work is a great thing. It allows them to save money on a host of expenses, from childcare costs to commuting. And it can also allow for a better work-life balance.

Plus, remote work setups can save employers money. That not only benefits them, but potentially allows them to pass some of that savings on to employees in the form of higher wages and better benefits.

Marth Stewart doesn't think remote work is a good strategy

But not everyone is on board with the remote work setup. In fact, lifestyle expert Martha Stewart recently blasted remote work culture.

CNN reported that according to Stewart, people cannot "possibly get everything done working three days a week in the office and two days remotely." Stewart was also quoted as saying, "Should America go down the drain because people don't want to go back to work?"

But while remote work certainly has some disadvantages, the fact of the matter is that the benefits have the potential to outweigh the negatives. And so hopefully, Stewart's sentiments won't sway employers to take away that option.

A setup that can be conducive to productivity

There are certain jobs that are much better performed in person than remotely -- namely, those that are very collaborative in nature. But Stewart's anti-remote-work stance overlooks the fact that many people are perfectly capable of maintaining their productivity from the comfort of home, a coffee shop, or another location that isn't an office building.

In fact, some people might do a better job of being productive without the distractions of office chatter. And some might end up being more available to their employers by virtue of remote work.

Imagine someone who no longer has to spend an hour driving home from the office at 5 p.m. That person might be more available to hop onto late-day meetings or respond to emails because they're already home and don't have to worry about leaving on time to grab their kids from a daycare center.

Also, when employees are given the flexibility to work remotely, they often reward their employers by being flexible in return. Someone who doesn't have to drag themself into an office may be more amenable to putting in some time on a weekend if they can do so in their pajamas.

Remote work is probably here to stay

There will inevitably be some companies that opt to do away with remote work in the coming months and years. But as of May, almost 1 in 9 job postings offered remote work as an option, according to LinkedIn.

Of course, there's a difference between remote work and fully remote work. The latter is something more businesses might opt to shy away from.

But allowing some degree of remote work is not only an important means of retaining employees, but also, attracting talent. And that's something employers are likely to keep in mind despite criticism along the lines of Stewart's recent tirade.