Not long ago, I came across a short video clip of Elon Musk stating that working from home is “immoral”. According to him, it’s unfair because so many people, like factory workers or service providers, don’t have the option to work remotely, and watching others work from home somehow hurts them.

With all due respect, I wholeheartedly disagree.

If working from home is immoral, then what do we call being forced to give up motherhood during the most delicate, irreplaceable years of a child’s life just to meet corporate demands? What do we call a system that equates presenteeism with productivity, even if it comes at the expense of physical and emotional health?

A personal revolution

After more than a decade of working full-time corporate jobs while raising children, I know firsthand how difficult it is to try and “do it all.” I breastfed each of my children, and returning to work after maternity leave felt like being ripped in two. Someone else held them, changed them, fed them milk I had pumped in super tiny break rooms, but no one gave them me.

For one of my children, that early separation led to trauma. At age three, he experienced violence in his kindergarten, while I was at work, doing my best to provide. The guilt still lingers.

By the time I was pregnant with my fourth child, I knew something had to change. I loved designing. I needed to work to support my family. But I also knew that I couldn’t return to that full-time grind, where I was constantly torn between my passion and my children.

The breaking point

In my last full-time job, the hours were long and rigid. A standard workday where I’m from is 9 hours, not including the commute, the errands, and the unpaid emotional labor that comes with raising a family. I couldn’t take my kids to school and pick them up. I cooked dinners at 10 p.m., packed lunches half-asleep, and often skipped meals myself. We ordered food too often. I barely slept.

Then one day, 8 months pregnant, my boss came into the office with a high fever. I got sick, my kids got sick, and when I stayed home to care for them, he got angry. That was it. I was done. Done sacrificing my family’s well-being for an outdated system.

A new way to work

Two months after my baby girl was born, I got an offer from a fashion entrepreneur who hadn’t opened an office yet. He needed a remote designer. I accepted, and we worked beautifully together for three years, until COVID-19 shut his business down. Since then, I’ve continued working from home as a fashion freelancer.

And let me tell you: working from home saved me!

It saved my health. It saved my time. It saved my family life. It allowed me to cook healthier meals, reduce our expenses, and be there for the moments that truly matter, without giving up the work I love.

Pros of working from home

Let’s set the record straight. Working from home isn’t about avoiding hard work; it’s about working smarter, more sustainably, and with more balance. Here are the real benefits:

Time efficiency

  • No commute. That’s hours saved every week (less pollution).

  • More flexible scheduling means work can happen when you’re most productive.

Improved health

  • Eating home-cooked healthy meals.

  • Better sleep routines.

  • Fewer office-borne illnesses.

Stronger family life

  • Being present for your children.

  • Avoiding the logistical nightmare of pickups, drop-offs, sick days, and babysitters.

Financial savings

  • Less money spent on gas, lunches, clothing, and childcare.

  • More control over household budgeting.

Environmental impact

  • Reduced carbon footprint from daily commutes.

  • Less disposable packaging and plastic waste from take-out meals and office snacks.

Greater focus and autonomy

  • Fewer interruptions.

  • More control over your workspace.

  • More trust, less micromanagement.

Accessibility and inclusivity:

  • People with physical limitations or caregiving responsibilities can still contribute meaningfully to the workforce.

The challenges are real, too

Let’s be honest, working from home isn’t perfect. There are real challenges to navigate:

Blurred boundaries

  • It’s easy to work too much.

  • You’re never fully “off.”

Isolation

  • You miss out on spontaneous team interactions, coffee breaks, and creative brainstorming.

  • It can feel lonely, especially if you’re used to a collaborative environment.

Distractions at home

  • Kids, laundry, deliveries, dishes, the list goes on...

  • Requires strong boundaries and time management skills.

Bias and stigma

As Elon Musk’s comment illustrates, there’s still a stigma attached to remote work, as if it’s a luxury rather than a legitimate structure.

Productivity isn’t measured by presence

The idea that remote work is somehow immoral implies that productivity can only happen in a controlled, physical office. But we now know that’s simply not true. Countless studies during and after the pandemic have shown that many people work more efficiently from home. For me, I was more responsive, more productive, and better aligned with my team because I was less stressed and more present.

Working from home doesn’t mean working less – it often means working better.

My response to Elon Musk

If I took Elon Musk’s words at face value, I’d have to quit doing what I love. I’d have to go back to unhealthy habits, less time with my children, and a system that cost me more than it gave.

Working from home allowed me to stay in the workforce, to feed my family, and fuel my passion. That’s not immoral. That’s evolution.

We are living in a new world, with new technologies, new values, and new possibilities. We should be embracing ways to make work work for more people, not shaming those who’ve found a better balance.

Final thought: a more human future of work

Working from home isn’t just about convenience. It’s about dignity. It’s about honoring that we are whole people, not just employees, but parents, caregivers, thinkers, creators.

For those who thrive in the office, great. For those who thrive at home, also great. The future of work should be flexible, human-centered, and built on trust, not guilt.

Because real productivity isn’t about where you are, it’s about what you create, how you live, and who you get to be while you work.