While some travel companies crack down on WFH, linking it to performance issues, MTA co-founder Karen Merricks says control is not the future – and her business results prove it.
Co-founder of MTA Travel Karen Merricks has slammed strict return-to-office policies.
“The best success we’ve ever had is because we allowed people to work from home, work their own hours and have flexibility – their performance goes up, not down,” Merricks told Travel Weekly.
Her comments come as she steps back from the business she built with her husband Roy, after selling MTA to Helloworld Travel in a deal worth approximately $50 million.
Merricks, who was named Travel Weekly’s Woman of the Year in 2025, built MTA into one of the industry’s most successful mobile networks, with a model centred on flexibility, trust and advisor autonomy.
When MTA started, top-performing advisors would be turning over $1-2 million a year at most. That has since surged with flexible working, she said, with advisors able to build significantly larger businesses as a result of the freedom the model provides.
“People working from home are now turning over five-plus million – that would have been unheard of before.”
The same applied to support staff.
“We allowed our support team to work from home and our productivity went through the roof.”
Merricks said the shift also allowed the business to tap into a wider talent pool, particularly those unable to work in traditional office settings due to location or personal circumstances.
Freedom and trust drive performance, Merricks said.
“A major part of our success is trusting people and giving them the freedom to work their own hours.”
She argued performance should be measured by output rather than time spent at a desk.
Flexible working also allows advisors and employees to structure work around their lives.
“They might pick up their child for half an hour, but they’ll log back on at seven at night – people give back tenfold.”
Merricks said the model also drives retention, with staff more likely to stay when they feel supported and trusted, creating what she described as a “sticky” business.
She added that businesses risk losing skilled talent if they enforce rigid office policies, particularly in a tight labour market.
Commenting on companies enforcing strict workplace policies, Merricks suggested the push could come down to control – and warned the approach may be outdated.
“If you want to control people, if you want to put them on a KPI… is that the way of the future?”
“We never put people on KPIs – we look at output.”
WFH blamed for performance
The debate comes as some travel companies move to wind back work-from-home policies, with a leading recruiter telling Travel Weekly there is growing resistance to fully remote roles and a push for staff to return to the office at least part of the week.
High-profile industry leaders are also reinforcing the shift, with Flight Centre founder Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner and Luxury Escapes CEO Adam Schwab both advocating for in-office work.
However, others argue flexible working has become a key driver of talent attraction and retention, particularly for those outside major city centres or with caregiving responsibilities.
EXCLUSIVE: Are the days of flexible working over? WFH debate heats up in travel
A culture built on trust
Merricks said the foundation of the company’s culture comes down to a simple principle: treating people how you would want to be treated.
She argued that respect, trust and empathy drive stronger performance and loyalty than rigid structures or surveillance.
“Treat other people how you want to be treated,” she said, adding that when staff feel valued and supported, they are more likely to go above and beyond for both the business and their clients.
If you have opinions to add to this debate contact sofia@travelweekly.com.au.
