Working from home is more productive for around a third of staff based at the O2 headquarters.

Ahead of the Olympic Games, the mobile phone company announced that those that can will work from home during the event. To test this, the company conducted an experiment to see if the required systems were in place.

Around 3,000 employees from the head office in Slough took part in the experiment to test the systems. The company found that 88 per cent of its staff were just as productive working remotely, while a third claimed that they actually got more done when they were working away from the office.

Ben Dowd, business director at O2, commented on the test day: "The success of O2’s experiment extends much further than just allowing some of the workforce to stay at home and work. It proves that with the right thinking and planning, even the largest organisations can protect themselves from the most severe disruptions to their business."

He added that "intense preparation" was required to facilitate the change in working practices, with adaptations made everywhere from HR and internal communications to IT and property services.