Working from home will be commonplace by the year 2022, according to a new study by Virgin Media Business.

The company surveyed 5,000 UK directors and business owners and found that 60 per cent of all employees could be regularly working from home in seven years' time. It also found that almost three quarters (72 per cent) of business leaders feel that face-to-face meetings will soon become a thing of the past.

Virgin Media Business' research indicates a clear shift to a more mobile workforce that does not operate in the traditional manner of working from a desk and travelling to meet clients. Technological advances have made this possible while there is also a growing demand from workers to be allowed to work more flexibly, something that can help people strike the right work-life balance.

In article for HR Magazine, Narelle Morrison states: "Forget the misconception that flexible working is a benefit reserved only for the career mum. The working practice should be extended to all employees and discussed early on in the hiring process in order to attract and retain talent."

At present, just 6.2 per cent of advertised jobs say they allow flexible working, according to the Timewise Flexible Jobs Index. Ms Morrison urges companies to change this attitude and embrace homeworking as a means of boosting productivity and job satisfaction.