The new working-from-home norm, embraced as a lifestyle enhancement by the young and thrusting, had gone hand in hand with the shedding of employee benefits, the imposition of zero-hours contracts and a rise in mental health issues among workers. Official statistics offered rosier pictures – average salaries had risen across the board, according to a recent government release – but painting by numbers was an illusory business. When you axed lower-paid jobs, the average rose without anyone becoming richer.
