Backlash after Kirstie Allsopp says office workers should ‘prove their worth’

Kirstie Allsopp is facing a social media storm after she told her Twitter followers they should 'prove their worth' to their employer.

The wealthy TV presenter, 48, caused outrage when she took to the micro-blogging site on Wednesday to claim that people who are employed to work in offices should be rushing back to ensure their bosses that they are good at their job, after months of people working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Kirstie told that she worries about unemployment rising as a number of companies have been forced to make redundancies as a result of the economic downturn caused by the crisis.

She also suggested that bosses could choose to hire cheaper staff from overseas.

The crafting expert typed: "If your job can be done from home it can be done from abroad where wages are lower. If I had an office job I’d want to be first in the queue to get back to work and prove my worth to my employer. I am terrified by what could be on the horizon for so many."

Proving that the Location, Location, Location host's point of view enraged her followers, a number of angered social media users lashed out at the Channel 4 favourite and quizzed her on how she thought her message was helpful.

One person fumed: "You shouldn't have to prove your worth to a company that chose to hire you. If they then outsource, that's got nothing to do with where you work. Also, homeworking is helpful for those of us with children who don't earn a fortune, as well as kinder to the planet."

A second echoed: "It is not as easy as that. You obviously have not tried to do this. Schooling, education, language, culture. They all play a part. Suggesting that people can be so easily replaced with cheaper employees overseas is naive at best."

A third asked: "Why would my return to commuting to an office, after 15 weeks of working from home, convince any manager of my worth ?"

A fourth mocked: "Says Kirstie who doesn't work in an office and has no idea whether those working from home need to prove their worth to their employers! It must be so nice for her to sit in her country pile preaching to others!"

Following the onslaught of upset, she then added: "This tweet is not an 'attack' on 'homeworkers' it’s about the coming wave of redundancies and the fact that many believe that out of sight if out of mind. You can agree or disagree but that doesn’t make it an 'attack.'"

In response, a Twitter user penned: "You laid out an argument for sacking home workers and sending their jobs abroad. I'd call that an attack."

Kirstie then added: "I highlighted what could happen, it’s an alert, not an attack."

Another person blasted: "Saying I need to be in the office to prove my worth is an attack."

Not backing down, Kirstie told: "No it is not. It may be an attack on how shortsighted some employers can be."

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Channel 4Location, Location, LocationCoronavirusKirstie Allsopp