More businesses are due to embrace working from home and flexible working practices during the Olympics, it has been revealed.

There had been some concern that employers were not implementing sufficient plans to allow for smooth business operation during the Olympics. However, a new study from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) of 500 employers found that a third will try to accommodate work from home requests and around 20 per cent will allow for flexible arrangements to help employees negotiate potential transport disruption.

Rebecca Clake of the CIPD commented: "There are a range of options available to employers to enable them to balance the requirements of the business with the interests and needs of employees.

"Options such as flexi-time and home working can enable employees in parts of the country likely to face travel disruption as a result of the Olympics to spend their time working rather than stuck in traffic jams or adding to the pressure likely to be faced by our public transport system."

She added: "Many employers are making provisions to enable employees to watch key events in the workplace, recognising that the Olympics is an opportunity to build morale and employee engagement."

Public sector employers are also looking at restricting leave during the Olympic Games in order to cope with the demand for extra services in the transport sector, for example.