The government has defended its plans to allow civil servants to work from home during the Olympics, stating that productivity will not be affected.

Ministries will permit their staff to work from home from 21 July through to the closing ceremony of the Paralympics on 9 September in order to reduce the pressure on the London transport system and keep business moving.

However, at least one business group has suggested that the homeworking policy will result in government working only "intermittently" over the seven week period, AFP reported.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport retorted that allowing staff to work from home was just one of the flexible arrangements in place. "It some cases, working from home is an option, but it is only one option," he remarked.

"It is not appropriate for all staff. In every case, staff will be expected to work just a hard and for the same amount of hours as if they were in the office."

If recent studies are anything to go by, the productivity of staff may even increase while they are at home. Various companies and reports have found that homeworkers tend to get more done at home than in the office simply because there are fewer distractions and they are not held up by commuting problems.