Asda former chairman Lord Stuart Rose has said working from home is “not doing proper work”, and that it was leading to the UK’s economy’s “general decline”.

The supermarket’s ex-boss, who was succeeded last November by former CEO Allan Leighton, told BBC Panorama, that remote working was creating a generation where employees’ productivity was suffering.

Lord Rose said: “We have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country’s wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four.”

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His comments follow in the wake of Asda last year ordering its work force of more than 5,000 head office staff back to the office for a minimum of three days per week.

Speaking at the time, an Asda spokesperson said the grocers updated approach brings it “in line with our competitors and the wider market”.

The move, which was set to become compulsory from January 2025, also follows recent similar actions by fellow supermarkets.

Last September, Tesco increased its ‘in-office’ attendance days for corporate staff from two to three per week, in a decision designed to build “high-performing teams with a collaborative culture”.