A small UK-based steel firm has shown how enabling staff to work from home can bring considerable benefits to a business operation, according to reports.

The Flexible Steel company had been based in Glossop, Derbyshire for a number of years, but the firm recently became a distribution operation and the decision was made to see the firm move its headquarters 50 miles to Bradford.

With a number of key members of staff facing a lengthy commute each day, bosses at the company decided to use a Cisco Unified Communication system to allow employees to work from home, reports Online Recruitment.

Managing director of Flexible Steel Matthew Mayers told the news provider: "We are a pretty simple, straight-forward business … we had a particular problem that we needed to address – enabling key staff to remain with the company without needing to relocate.

"We have sales people all over the UK and some won’t come to the office for up to two weeks and yet they can still function effectively with access to all the latest company and operational information."

Last week, healthcare group HSA called for an increased up-take of flexible working practices in the UK.