Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate has expressed his opposition to working from home, arguing that young people require workplace mentors to develop their careers. Speaking on a trip with Neets tsar Alan Milburn, Southgate connected companies' working from home policies to the joblessness crisis affecting individuals under 25.
Southgate highlighted his own experience in football, stating, “What I’ve realised a little bit too late in my life is that one of the brilliant things about being in football was I had a coach every day of my life, but also this other support system of people – physios, kit men.” He added, “You’ve got this support network of people that you know companies, businesses can provide. It’s one of the reasons I hate working from home.”
He also criticised the tax burden on businesses, specifically mentioning employers’ national insurance contributions and other cost increases. Southgate warned that these factors deter firms in sectors like retail and hospitality from hiring new staff, stating, “If you speak to people that run bars or restaurants, that’s what they would say is inhibiting them from employing young people.”
Milburn is expected to complete his report on reducing the number of Neets, estimated at just under 1 million people aged 16 to 24, after the Budget.