More than half (60%) of employees will work from home in the next decade, according to the findings of a survey carried out by Virgin Media Business.
Face-to-face meetings with customers and prospects will also change with 72% believing getting together in person will soon be a thing of the past.
Run byWork Wise UK, National Work Wise Week is calling on UK businesses to implement more flexible working. When talking about the benefits of home working, 62% of employees said avoiding the commute was the main upside to flexible working practices.
Tony Grace, COO, Virgin Media Business, said: "Businesses need to be more flexible about every aspect of the way they work. This will not only engage and motivate a workforce, but also allow a business to tailor how it communicates with its customers. There is no set rule for how people work best. Implementing home working strategies is one way businesses can become more adaptable and cost effective.
"Our research shows a huge groundswell of interest in remote working driving companies to look more carefully at how they can be more flexible in the way in which they work. Remote working isn't anything new, but with technology providing the right tools, we're starting to see real momentum to a more flexible approach to work.
"For those companies that do want to become more flexible, they need to be looking at investing in cloud-based software, virtual private networks and investing in new tools such as Unified Communications to ensure that remote teams remain connected and engaged.
"We're not calling for the end of the office - far from it. Instead, we want business to become as agile and as responsive as possible to the needs of employees and customers."
Philip Flaxton, chief executive, Work Wise UK, added: "Technology has come on at such a pace that the days of using it as a barrier for not allowing people to work remotely is frankly a moot point. No two individuals are the same and that is also true of the way we work. The trick for employers is being flexible enough to adapt to their workforce. By doing this, they can make sure they maximise the potential of their employees and get the most out of them by creating an environment in which they work best."
National Work Wise Week 2012 runs from the 14 - 18 May
National Work From Home Day 2012 runs on 18 May
