Flexport CEO renews remote-work fight with sharp criticism

Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen has reignited the return-to-office debate by calling remote work “white-collar fraud” during an appearance on the Twenty Minute VC podcast. His comments matter because Flexport grew rapidly during the pandemic-era ecommerce boom, when many companies were relying on remote work.

Petersen said working from home can leave employees distracted, particularly parents with young children. He pointed to his own family life, saying he has a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old and that doing serious work from home is, in his words, “a total fantasy.”

He said the problem can be worse for employees with less space than he has. Petersen said he has a larger home than many workers and a private office, but still said he cannot get work done there when his children are around.

According to Fortune, Flexport is an $8 billion logistics company. The company did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment on Petersen’s remarks.

Flexport’s office policy

Petersen said on the podcast that he came to oppose remote work during the Covid era, when Flexport allowed employees to work away from the office. He said he believes the company kept that arrangement for too long and that its culture suffered, though Fortune reported that he did not give specifics about how the damage occurred.

Fortune reported that Flexport now requires employees to come to the office five days a week. Petersen also suggested that employees who would not return to the office were no longer with the company.

Petersen said remote work has a place for highly skilled workers in developing countries, where it can let people earn more than local jobs might pay. He rejected the idea that remote work is especially beneficial for highly paid employees.

Flexport sells software and services used by companies to manage supply chains, according to Fortune. Fortune reported that its customers have included Georgia-Pacific, the maker of Brawny paper towels, and Gerber, the baby food company.

The company’s revenue jumped during the pandemic, Fortune reported, citing Forbes figures showing revenue of $3.3 billion in 2021, compared with $670 million before the pandemic. Fortune reported that Flexport became profitable for the first time during that period.

Backlash and broader debate

Petersen’s remarks drew criticism online from parents and some founders, according to Fortune. Ryan Carson, CEO of legal workflow software company Untangle, wrote on X that he was saddened by Petersen’s view and said time with children while working from home can be more valuable than company achievements or money.

The comments fit into a wider split among executives over remote work. Fortune cited JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon as one of the prominent critics of remote arrangements; Dimon has said remote work can create “rope-a-dope politics” and hurt younger workers, and JPMorgan restored a five-day office policy at the start of 2025.

Fortune also cited Elon Musk, who has criticized what he called the “laptop class” and argued in a 2023 CNBC interview that it is unfair for office workers to work from home while factory and delivery workers must show up in person.

Other business figures have defended remote work. Fortune reported that Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary said earlier this year that companies limiting hiring to in-person workers risk missing stronger candidates.

Remote work remains well above pre-pandemic levels, according to a monthly survey conducted by economists for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The survey found 26% of fully paid workdays were done from home in May, down from 62% in May 2020 but above the pre-pandemic level of 7%.

Gallup research cited by Fortune found that many workers with remote-capable jobs still want at least some home-based work. Gallup found more than half prefer working from home at least part of the week, while one-third prefer to be fully remote.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.