A new study has indicated that home working will be the trend of the future as the online social networking generation enters the work market.

David Coplin, National Technology Officer at Microsoft, who contributed to the study, has said that firms will change their focus from office-based systems to home-based solutions as more employees choose to work from home.

Coplin added that one of the benefits of this trend will be that companies will be able to reduce office space as only 55 per cent of current office space is likely to be needed.

Microsoft is very supportive of the value of home working. The company even has simulated models in its Microsoft Museum, showing the future of home working.

The Institute of Directors also supports the concept of flexible working, including working from home, as being advantageous for both employers and their staff. The think tank’s head of regulatory affairs, Alexander Ehmann, warned however that firms and their employees should beware of falling into the trap of assuming that flexible working arrangements are always advantageous for both parties. Arrangements must always be carefully thought out.