Lord Alan Sugar has blasted a top accountancy firm that has decided to give its staff the Friday off.
PricewaterhouseCoopers has told its staff they can clock off at lunch time on Fridays this summer, after a trial run last year.
The move has been made as one in three Brits were reported to still be working from home at the start of this year.
While some praised the move, the Apprentice host hit out at "lazy gits" and blamed the pandemic for having long lasting effects.
Lord Alan Sugar
Lauren Hurley
"This is a bloody joke. The lazy gits make me sick.
"Call me old-fashioned but all this work from home BS is a total joke.
"There is no way people work as hard or productive as when they had to turn up at a work location.
"The pandemic has had long lasting negative effect."
Despite Lord Sugar's strong words, the firm laughed off any criticism from the business mogul, thanking him for the free publicity.
Maria Jennings, PwC’s marketing director, posted on LinkedIn: "I could add some commentary to this but given we are so lazy at PwC UK I figured I’d spend my time elsewhere.”
Half of workers would be tempted to move to an organisation offering a four-day week, new research suggests.
Recruiters Hays said a survey of more than 9,600 workers showed that two in five believe a four-day week will become a reality in the next few years.
Lord Alan Sugar attends a tribute lunch for Graham Norton
Anthony Devlin
Most believed a shorter working week would improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Around 53% of respondents said they would consider moving to a different employer if a four-day week was offered.
Gaelle Blake, of Hays, said: “We’re seeing companies getting more creative in what they can offer prospective staff when trying to recruit in a competitive market.
“However, if employers don’t get the basics right such as offering competitive salaries along with flexible and hybrid working, the majority of professionals will look elsewhere to employers who have got the fundamentals right.
“From our experience, there’s still only a handful of companies offering a four-day week for example, and while this is an attractive offering, there are lots of other ways for companies to stand out.
“Actions such as having a strong purpose and offering staff the opportunity to take volunteer days is attractive, as is introducing wellbeing days.”
Around 60 companies will take part in a four-day week trial next month organised by a group campaigning for a shorter working week with no loss of pay.