Should young people be working from the office? Apprentice star Ryan-Mark Parsons says it’s ‘unmistakably lazy’ for new employees to continue working remotely but is branded ‘insulting’ by fellow GMB guest
- Former Apprentice contestant Ryan-Mark Parsons, 21, appeared on ITV today
- Debated whether young people should work from offices to boost their careers
- Ryan-Mark, west London, said remote working promotes an ‘apathetic attitude’
- Entrepreneur Izzy Obeng, Cumbria, called his argument ‘absolutely ludicrous’
Apprentice star Ryan-Mark Parsons has been branded ‘insulting’ for saying that young people who continue to work from home are ‘unmistakably lazy’.
The 21-year-old TV personality, from west London, appeared on Good Morning Britain today alongside Cumbria-based entrepreneur Izzy Obeng to debate whether younger employees should start working from the office.
It comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak said last month that it was ‘really important’ for young people to be in a workplace in order to boost their careers.
Ryan-Mark said that remote working is promoting a ‘really apathetic attitude’, while Izzy said that the idea of young people being lazy because they don’t want a long commute into the city is ‘absolutely ludicrous’.
Apprentice star Ryan-Mark Parsons appeared on Good Morning Britain today to debate whether younger employees should start working from the office
Cumbria-based entrepreneur Izzy Obeng branded him ‘insulting’ for saying that young people who continue to work from home are ‘unmistakably lazy’
‘Certainly everyone I’ve spoken to, all of my friends, they are itching, including myself to get back to the office,’ said Ryan-Mark. ‘Because it’s that sense of pride, when you’re getting up in the morning, you’re putting on your suit.
‘Certainly for people who have just graduated from school, if they’re starting an apprenticeship, if they’ve just graduated from university, it’s about taking pride in your appearance.
‘You know what, I think it’s lazy. I think what Izzy is suggesting is unmistakably lazy and promoting a really apathetic attitude towards working – where you’re complaining about your commute, you’re complaining about getting dressed. Listen, it is laziness disguised as saying “I think I thrive at home”.
‘You need to get up, you need to get dressed and go to work and you’re going to succeed in your career.’
Ryan-Mark said that remote working is promoting a ‘really apathetic attitude’, while Izzy said that the idea of young people being lazy because they don’t want a long commute into the city is ‘absolutely ludicrous’
Izzy vehemently disagreed, saying: ‘I think it’s insulting to the tens of thousands of young people who have worked really hard to build their careers over the course of the pandemic.’
The businesswoman, who is managing director of non-profit Foundervine, said that many organisations have used remote working as an opportunity to build relationships overseas using tools like LinkedIn.
‘To suggest that someone is being lazy because they don’t want to trek two and a half hours into the centre of the city, just so they can sit in an office all day is absolutely ludicrous,’ said Izzy.
She went on to argue that in a globalised environment small businesses will benefit from flexible working ‘where you spend some time in social spaces and some time working from home’.
Izzy, who is managing director of non-profit Foundervine, said that many organisations have used remote working as an opportunity to build relationships overseas using tools like LinkedIn
Ryan-Mark disgareed, arguing that as a young employee building relationships and ‘collaboratively working with your colleagues’ isn’t possible over a computer screen
‘It hasn’t worked well for everyone, I completely acknowledge there are some challenges from working from home, but I think what is key here is to have flexible working arrangements.’
But Ryan-Mark disgareed, and said that while he acknowledges there are some benefits to working from home, building relationships and ‘collaboratively working with your colleagues’ isn’t possible over a computer screen as a young employee.
‘I know Izzy said it’s worked for her, but it is simply not going to be the same kind of relationship you’re building, if you’re actually in the office with your colleagues, with your boss that you can achieve when you’re doing a Zoom call,’ said Ryan-Mark.
‘I completely agree with the Chancellor. He was younger he was doing his summer internship – he wouldn’t have had the progression and the relationships he built as a youngster if he was doing it over Zoom, you can’t have the same relationship over a computer, I’m sorry, absolutely not.’
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