Working from Home: Privilege or Problem? As Remote Workers Watch TV, Elon Musk Calls It “Immoral”

Working from home—the dream that’s come true for many, allowing employees to blend their professional lives with the comforts of home, trading office chatter for pajama pants and a decent cup of coffee. But as it turns out, the fantasy might be getting a little too cozy. In a recent survey, more than 80 percent of remote workers admitted to tuning into daytime TV, averaging nearly two hours of shows like Come Dine with Me, Homes Under the Hammer, and Loose Women. And who, you might ask, is most dedicated to this new form of remote “multitasking”? Well, that would be Gen Z workers, with 91 percent admitting they keep the TV on during working hours, followed closely by Londoners, who apparently average nearly three hours a day glued to the screen.

Enter Elon Musk, the ever-outspoken billionaire, to weigh in with a different perspective. Musk’s verdict on remote work is blunt: it’s immoral. Why? Because, he argues, while remote workers enjoy the freedom of working from home, millions of others—farmers, factory workers, plumbers, and transport operatives—still have to show up in person to provide the very essentials that make remote work possible. In Musk’s eyes, this disparity creates a two-tier system, where white-collar workers enjoy flexibility while blue-collar workers bear the risks and the routines of physically demanding jobs.

So, is working from home a privilege, a productivity issue, or a matter of moral consequence? Here’s a closer look at what’s really at stake.

TV Time: The New Remote Reality

Remote work has been praised for boosting productivity and balance, yet survey data suggests that the “home office” has become the ultimate test of self-discipline. An impressive 82 percent of hybrid workers admitted to watching TV during their workday. This translates to nearly a third of the working day spent catching up on home makeovers and reality shows—more than enough to make the average boss break out in hives. Londoners are the biggest offenders, clocking in an average of 2 hours and 52 minutes of TV time during work, with men racking up 19 minutes more than their female counterparts.

But while some might argue that a little background TV doesn’t hurt productivity, others see it as a stark indicator of the remote work reality—one where the boundaries between work and leisure have blurred to the point of invisibility.

A Two-Tier Workforce? Musk Thinks So

While some celebrate the flexibility of remote work, Musk’s take on the matter is far less glowing. For him, the ethical issue goes beyond a few hours of Loose Women—it’s about the disparity remote work creates in the workforce. Musk argues that it’s deeply unfair, even immoral, for certain employees to enjoy the comfort of home while others, especially those in essential or physical roles, must show up every day, regardless of conditions or risk.

From Musk’s perspective, society relies on a massive, often underappreciated workforce to keep daily life functioning. Farmers, builders, plumbers, and transport workers can’t exactly Zoom in to milk cows, construct buildings, fix boilers, or drive buses. For these workers, flexibility isn’t an option. Musk’s view raises an uncomfortable question: is it right to build a culture of remote work that serves one class of workers but leaves another without choice or flexibility?

The Productivity and Morality Crossroads

So, where does this leave us? On the one hand, working from home has offered unparalleled freedom for white-collar workers, liberating them from commutes and giving them more time with family. Studies show that remote workers can be highly productive and benefit from reduced stress. But the survey results—and Musk’s critique—highlight the other side of the coin. Working from home can easily slide into “working from the sofa” with one eye on emails and the other on the TV, eroding the line between work and leisure and raising questions about fairness for those who can’t work from the comfort of their living rooms.

Is Remote Work Sustainable—or Just Selfish?

Musk’s critique speaks to a broader ethical question that remote work has forced society to confront. When the majority of the workforce can’t work from home, is it fair for a privileged few to make it the norm? If remote work becomes a long-term expectation, are we creating a workforce where one group gets flexibility while others are left to carry on without it, shouldering the risks and realities of on-site work?

It’s hard to deny that working from home is a privilege, one that’s simply not feasible for everyone. Perhaps the moral answer isn’t to abandon remote work altogether but to ensure that those who can work remotely appreciate the value of those who can’t. For those who can dial in from a cozy nook, taking a moment to acknowledge the workers who make that possible—from the people stocking shelves to those delivering packages—might just be a step toward bridging the divide.

So, is working from home wrong? Not necessarily. But the ethical challenge lies in recognising that it’s a privilege not available to everyone. While hybrid workers catch up on Homes Under the Hammer, perhaps it’s worth remembering that some folks are hammering away on actual homes—and for them, working from home will always be a distant luxury.