This is Sir Richard Branson's idea of an office. (Photo: Flickr.com/D@LY3D

Chief Yahoo Marissa Mayer recently ruled that there will be no more working remotely for the company's thousands of employees. (Scuttlebutt suggests the decision was due to slacking and flakiness.) Well, it seems word has now trickled out to Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group and prominent Caribbean island owner, and he does not approve.

Mr. Branson took to his blog yesterday to voice his disapproval of Ms. Mayer's ruling. But it was really more of an advertisement for the cultural virtues of Virgin than anything else, actually:

We like to give people the freedom to work where they want, safe in the knowledge that they have the drive and expertise to perform excellently, whether they at their desk or in their kitchen. Yours truly has never worked out of an office, and never will.

So it was perplexing to see Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer tell employees who work remotely to relocate to company facilities. This seems a backwards step in an age when remote working is easier and more effective than ever.

Besides, how else are you supposed to spend time at your private tropical paradise?