Should people working from home be made to go back into the office?

A government minister sparked debate by suggesting homeworkers should be paid less but experts tell Ben Chapman that working away from the office may actually be more productive

Experts say working away from the office may actually be more productive (Getty)

A senior government figure has sparked renewed debate about working from home after controversially suggesting that civil servants should be paid less if they do not go into the office.

The mystery minister, who declined to be named in the front page news story on Monday, asserted that home workers deserved less pay because they save money on things such as travel expenses.

“I think people who want to get on in life will go into the office because that’s how people are going to succeed,” the minister is quoted as saying, arguing that it wasn’t possible for employers to know if their staff were working or watching television.