CEO of one of the UK’s fastest-growing online schools on why remote working is the future, not the past

The debate around remote work isn’t really about productivity – it’s about leadership.

That’s the message from Hugh Viney, CEO of online school, Minerva’s Virtual Academy (MVA), who argues that businesses struggling with remote teams are failing to adapt, rather than proving the model doesn’t work.

As major businesses roll back flexible working policies, Hugh warns that forcing employees back into offices reflects outdated thinking and weak leadership.

Hugh set-up MVA during the COVID-19 pandemic and it now has a fully remote workforce of over 160 employees thriving across 10 countries, as well as 1,000 pupils on its books worldwide.

“We’ve built a global organisation without a traditional office setup, and it works,” said Hugh.

“The argument that remote work leads to lower productivity is simply outdated – if employees aren’t performing, it’s a leadership issue, not a remote work issue.

“If business leaders think the only way to manage a team is to physically be in the same office, they probably never were a great leader to begin with.

“When I see corporations pushing for employees to be back at their desks, I can’t help but think this is a sign of poor leadership or, at the very least, an unwillingness to adapt.”

The start of 2025 has heralded a new return-to-office push. Corporate giants like Amazon said they would bring their employees back into the office five days a week this year.

Other major employers have also abandoned the hybrid attendance policy they adopted during the pandemic and instead implemented full return-to-office mandates.

Lord Rose, former CEO of Marks & Spencer and Asda, recently said that home working is not “proper work” and that national productivity is suffering as a result.

Hugh has hit back at recent criticism and said remote working provides many advantages to businesses in terms of flexibility and recruiting and holding onto existing staff.

“Remote work allows us to find the best talent, operate across multiple time zones, and scale seamlessly,” he said.

“At MVA, we don’t just tolerate remote work; we embrace it as a competitive advantage.

“Recently, we welcomed 15 new teachers to our fully remote team, reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional education without geographical constraints.

“Employees who work remotely are happier, healthier, and more in control of their lives. Why wouldn’t employers want that? The companies clinging to rigid office structures risk being left behind.”

One teacher that recently joined MVA is Jennie Harrison, who thought she had left teaching behind because she didn’t believe she would be able to combine it with working from home.

She said: “I had been a History teacher for almost a decade, but was on a break from my teaching career and was working in the charity sector. Because I’d become used to working from home, and had commitments there, I did not think I would be able to return to teaching.

“My partner asked me one day what my ideal job would be, and I said: ‘A History teacher online’. He did a quick search and found an advert for MVA.”

With remote work proving to be a scalable, profitable model for MVA, Hugh has urged businesses to embrace the future rather than retreat into outdated practices.

“Remote work isn’t just about flexibility – it’s about redefining what’s possible,” he said.

“Businesses that fail to adapt will struggle to attract top talent and maintain agility in an ever-changing world. The future of work is here, and it’s remote.”

MVA does maintain a small office in Brixton, London, but with space for just five people, it serves more as a symbol of the company’s flexibility rather than a necessity.

“This tiny office is HQ for a global business, proving that success isn’t about where you work, but how you work,” added Hugh.