Out Of Touch? Joey Concepcion Draws Flak For Trying To Cancel Remote Work Setup, Issues Clarification

Go Negosyo founder Jose Maria “Joey” Concepcion III irked thousands of working-class Filipinos recently over his endorsement of a full return-to-office (RTO) policy, claiming that work-from-home (WFH) arrangements lead to lack of “mobility” for consumers, which delays economic growth.

Concepcion admitted having “mixed views” on remote work setups, citing reduced demand for public transportation or ride hailing applications. Lesser people would eat outside or shop for office clothes, too, he noted.

“Work-from-home is OK only in a pandemic (situation), but it should no longer apply now because the pandemic is over. So, encouragement to work from the office must continue to also enforce discipline,” Concepcion said in English and Filipino during a “Laging Handa” public briefing last Monday, Aug. 21.

Consequently, the concurrent Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Lead for Jobs under the Marcos administration found himself among the trending topics on X (formerly Twitter) last Wednesday, Aug. 23, as netizens called him out for being disconnected from reality.

One netizen shared a photo of a long line of commuters trying to catch a bus ride home at an EDSA Carousel station in between private vehicles stuck in heavy traffic along the thoroughfare. “The two faces of everyday onsite work for Pinoys,” part of his caption read.

Another said his opinion reeks of privilege: “Palibhasa rich ‘yan si Joey Concepcion. Hindi niya ramdam ang kahirapan. Wala siya pakialam sa mga empleyado [na] sapat lang ang sahod (Joey Concepcion is rich. He does not feel poverty. He doesn’t care about employees who earn just enough).”

Some also pointed out the irony in his statement. Despite advocating for RTO, the PSAC advisor himself appeared to be working remotely in what netizens presumed to be his house or a resort when he gave media interviews over the issue.

Others disputed his claims of reduced spending. They explained that consumption never stops even for people who are telecommuting since there are online shopping platforms and food delivery apps, which continue to drive economic transactions.

“Hindi naman nakabaon lang sa kutson ang pera ng mga work-from-home (employee). Naiba lang ang spending habits (Work-from-home employees’ money aren't buried under a mattress. Our spending habits just changed): online store vs. mall; delivery app vs. restaurants,” a netizen said.

“With WFH daw, ‘There will be less mobility. If there is less mobility, there is less consumption.’ But what if people are not consuming because prices are so damn high & inflation was unabated? Also, people now know how to use the online economy to spend,” economist JC Punongbayan commented.

Some people criticized Concepcion for looking at the situation purely from the perspective of business owners and how they can profit. It did not help that he also later on justified traffic jams as manifestation of a moving economy.

“Joey Concepcion is a good case of being out of touch with the daily challenges of regular people. To say the least. Even with mixed work setup, consumption will happen, even optimally. Lots of productivity lost in traffic,” chimed in lawyer Lyman Manzanares on X.

“Dahil need kumita ng mga negosyante, kailangan nating palalalain pa ang traffic, kailangan natin dalasan pa ang paggasta sa labas, oh yes (Because businessmen need to earn, we need to worsen the traffic, we need to splurge outside more frequently),” another netizen claimed.

Alternatively, some simply pointed out the convenience of working remotely, how it allows for more family time. More importantly, it helps employees save not only time but money, as they are able to cut back on transportation costs.

Management discretion

But on “One Balita Pilipinas” over One PH last Wednesday, Aug. 23, the former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship seemed to have softened his stance on the issue after receiving complaints from the public. He said private firms should be allowed to decide on work arrangements for their employees.

Concepcion used his own companies as examples, saying while they are fully implementing onsite work, they have allowed their employees to partially WFH every Friday with early dismissal for those in the office and Saturdays off.

“I believe we should just allow the private sector to make their own arrangements with their own employees,” he said, noting there are business enterprises registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) that are currently enforcing hybrid work setups.

“Let the companies, who are the ones paying these workers, make the decision… And if the employees are not happy with the setup, they can always move on and look for another job,” the PSAC advisor added.

Concepcion clarified that a full RTO policy is “a management discretion” and he is not rejecting WFH. “What I’m trying to drive at here is our economy is most crucial, especially from moving away from the pandemic, now we’re in recovery, towards moving at a much better scenario,” he explained.

“As you saw, last month our GDP (gross domestic product) went down to 4.3 percent. So, we’re getting there but not quite there yet, so we need that momentum,” Concepcion noted. The government aims to grow the economy by six to seven percent this year.

But Concepcion also pushed his prior points. He argued it was “basic principle” that more mobility equates to rich economic activity. He added there should be a balance between employees’ convenience, and the profits of establishments like canteens, and other auxiliary businesses.

Concepcion laid out the same arguments when he appeared on “The Big Story” over One News last Tuesday, Aug. 22. He also claimed that WFH setups lessen discipline among employees and weaken their social skills, at least based on his experience as an employer.

“Because when you work from home, you’ll just be in pajamas, short pants, you don't wear makeup, etc. Over time, you even lose your social skills… We want to build a workforce that is united, driven and you need to be in the office to socialize or else your personality will change,” Concepcion said.

According to Go Negosyo’s website, Concepcion is president and chief executive officer of RFM Corporation, chairman of the RFM Unilever Ice Cream Corporation, and director and executive committee member of Concepcion Industries Incorporated.