Working remotely improves employee productivity, a survey of over 300 London business people has suggested.

The survey, by computer software firm Sirenic, found that 70 per cent of respondents said they would be more effective if they could work flexibly.

However, only 49 per cent of those surveyed admitted that their companies offered this option.

The most common reasons for needing to work away from the office were business trips and attending meetings (both 46 per cent).

The unbearably hot office conditions this summer attributed to 15 per cent working from home and 6 per cent required flexible working to accommodate changes in childcare arrangements over the holidays.

Nearly 10 per cent of respondents said they would like to work remotely because it would give them the opportunity to get away from annoying colleagues.

Email access is considered the most important factor for successful remote working, according to 66 per cent of respondents.

Bertrand Lipworth, chairman of Sirenic, said: "Some employers are still wary of offering flexible working, as they believe that employees will take advantage.

"But remote working is about trusting people to use their time more efficiently - catching up with emails while on the train, between meetings, commuting (by car even with voice access), working from home while waiting for deliveries or checking emails whilst on a business trip."

Despite popular belief, employees are unlikely to exploit flexible working, the study found.

Eighty-one per cent of employees whose companies offered the option had worked remotely less than three days last month, with more than half not working away from the office at all.

Mr Lipworth added: "This statistic could be attributed to poor remote working facilities. If companies are offering mobile working, they should ensure that they provide the necessary technology that enables them to check and to respond to their most important emails, and manage contacts and tasks securely."

The article Flexible working boosts productivity originally appeared on 999 Today