Pimlico Plumbers entrepreneur Charlie Mullins has been criticised after saying those still working from home are ‘selfish’ and ‘don’t care about the economy’.
Mullins, from Essex, who runs one of Britain’s biggest independent plumbing firms, hit headlines last week after firing around 30 staff when they refused to return to work, following the end of his company’s use of the Government furlough scheme.
Appearing on This Morning today alongside businesswoman Kirsty Hulse, from Stoke-On-Trent, he said that the scheme promotes a ‘benefits culture’ and that ‘everyone needs to pull their weight’ to boost the economy.
Viewers quickly took to Twitter to share their view, with many arguing they did not ‘choose’ to be on the furlough scheme, and felt his point may be more effective if he wasn’t ‘sunning himself in Marbella’.
Pimlico Plumbers entrepreneur Charlie Mullins (bottom left), from Essex, appeared on This Morning today alongside businesswoman Kirsty Hulse, from Stoke-On-Trent (bottom right)
Mullins, from Essex, who runs one of Britain’s biggest independent plumbing firms, hit headlines last week after firing around 30 staff after they refused to return to work after he ended the scheme
‘To get people into the work place we need to end it [the furlough scheme] as quick as possible,’ said Charlie.
‘Let’s not kid anyone, the majority of people are in the position to go back to work, but they don’t want to go back to work.
‘If you’re paying anyone to sit at home and do nothing, that’s what they’re going to do. Most people the workplace is too far from the beach for them.
‘We need to move on and get the economy going and stop this stupid culture of people thinking they can sit at home and be paid for it.’
Viewers quickly took to Twitter to share their view, with many arguing they did not ‘choose’ to be on the furlough scheme, and felt his point may be more effective if he wasn’t ‘sunning himself in Marbella’
Speaking about working from home, he went on: ‘Let’s not kid anyone, that’s fine for the minority, but not for the majority.
‘To get things going we need to get a taxi, go for a coffee and that won’t happen at home, and I think it’s selfish some people are working from home and don’t care about the economy.’
Viewers soon took to Twitter to share their views, with one writing: ‘Does the Pimlico guy know people don’t get to pick and choose if they are on furlough’.
Another wrote: ‘I work in a hotel and I’ve been on furlough all through lockdown. I didn’t go abroad, I didn’t go to the beach, I didn’t go to town unless I needed food for my kids and the whole time I was productive at home. Furlough helped me survive and I’m grateful for it.’
Charlie told that the scheme promotes a ‘benefits culture’ and that ‘everyone needs to pull their weight’ to boost the economy
Kirsty, founder of consultancy firm Roar Training, disagreed and felt that allowing staff to have the benefits of working from home
A third agreed: ‘My husband is a key worker and I am self employed and run out of work now because term based. No one is lazing about, they are following government guidelines.’
‘Charlie Mullins might be able to make his point a bit more forceful if he wasn’t sunning himself in Marbella’, said a fourth.
Kirsty, founder of consultancy firm Roar Training, disagreed and felt that allowing staff to have the benefits of working from home, and ‘treating them like adults’, will create a more productive work environment.
‘I think for me it’s subjective,’ she said. ‘But why wouldn’t we allow someone to do the school run?
Viewers soon took to Twitter to share their views, with many arguing employees have continued to work hard from home
‘When people are happy and adult teams are treated like adults, we will be more loyal. If we’re hiring people who are engaged and motivated they will get the job done.’
However, Charlie went on to argue that working from home and the furlough scheme means it will be harder for employees to get back to the workplace, and they’re not necessarily more productive at home.
‘You’ll create a culture like people on benefits, he said. ‘And the longer people stay home, the longer it will be to get back in the work place.
‘People always say they’re more productive at home, of course they’re going to say that. Everyone should be pulling their weight and should get the economy going.’