Two women have unknowingly sparked a furious debate over the privileges of working from home after being photographed on their laptops while sunbathing on a popular beach.
The couple were seen calmly using their computers on a hot and sunny Friday afternoon at Balmoral Beach in Sydney’s north.
It was posted on social media shortly after and left many enraged that they were potentially working from the beach.
Flexible and remote working arrangements became very popular during the coronavirus lockdowns, where many employees were forced to work remotely from home.
While it’s not sure if they were working or completing other tasks like college work, some said it was time for those working from home to “grow up and get back to work.”
“As an employer, I would be tracking your every move and location if I even considered allowing people to work from home,” one user wrote on TikTok.
“Most companies wouldn’t allow this because of the sensitive information, I guess it depends on what your job is,” a second commented.
“I work from home and I would definitely get in trouble.”
An image of two women using their laptops on Balmoral Beach in Sydney’s north (pictured) on a sunny Friday has sparked a furious debate over the privileges of working from home.
Some came to the girls’ defense, claiming they could have been doing other things on computers instead of working.
“Anyone who even says they’re working could be working at university or have their own small business and not even have bosses,” one wrote.
“People assume very quickly.”
Others were more perplexed by their choice to work from their laptops, which could be damaged by sand.
“I’m surprised their laptops don’t overheat,” one commented.
Another noted that they “can’t think of a worse place to use a laptop.”
Coaching business owner Lauren Yehezkel, who shared the video, said it was just the latest in a series of posts about the strange places the WFH works.
The couple are not the first Yehezkel has seen working from the beach, while he has seen others carrying out their daily tasks in pubs and parks.
“I think it’s become the new normal as well. I’ve never seen it so often until this year and I was quite surprised,” he said. news.com.au.
Several Australians told those working from home to “grow up” and return to the office, a sentiment shared by a growing number of senior executives around the world (file image)
Yehezkel said he would have no problem with an employee of his working from home, but added that the beach was a step too far.
The image follows several major companies, such as Tabcorp and Flight Center, calling on workers to return to the office for the full five-day work week.
A growing number of executives are feeling pressure to bring workers back to in-person work as the pandemic weathers, when working from home was essential.
The KPMG 2024 CEO Outlook survey found that 83 percent of 1,300 global CEOs predict the work-from-home era will end within the next three years.
The survey revealed that bosses are taking a stronger stance on working from home in 2024, after 64 per cent of CEOs predicted workers would return full-time the previous year.
Good news for workers is that those who return to the office can expect to be rewarded.
Of the CEOs surveyed, 87 percent said they are more likely to offer raises, promotions and favorable assignments to employees who struggle to be in the office.