60% to work from home within 10 years, says study

More than half of all employees will work from home within the next decade, according to research.

A study carried out by LM Research has claimed that 60 per cent of people believe that in a matter of years, employees who are currently office-based will be "regularly" working from home. The researchers spoke to about 5,000 directors and business owners and found that companies are starting to put the infrastructure in place in preparation for more members of staff working remotely.

Advances in technology, and greater access to devices such as tablets and smartphones, mean it is now easier than ever to allow staff to work outside an office and yet still provide them with access to the same tools and functions they would normally have.

A separate survey conducted recently by financial recruitment consultancy Robert Half UK has claimed that 38 per cent of HR directors plan to offer remote working options during the first half of 2012. HR Magazine reported that more than four out of ten survey respondents said remote working had increased within their organisation over the past three years.

According to a report by The Next Web, telecoms giant O2 let 3,000 of its employees work from home for one day as part of a remote working pilot earlier this month.