Despite heavy snow in February this year which brought the London transport system to its knees and left thousands of commuters stranded, many small firms in the UK "have not learnt their lesson" by facilitating homeworking for staff who are unable to make it to the office. That's according to researchers, who discovered that more than half of small businesses admit being unprepared for events that could prevent employees' access to the workplace.

Remote access experts at technology firm LogMeIn polled 225 enterprises and found 53 per cent of small companies unprepared for the implications of heavy snow, compared to just 18 per cent of bigger organisations.

"With driving conditions potentially more hazardous, employees should be encouraged to work from home and be given the tools that enable them to stay productive when out of the office – from communications to remote computer access," remarked managing director Seth Shaw. "This can not only minimise the impact of adverse weather, but can actually allow companies to be more flexible in their approach to any disruption."

In February, UK businesses are estimated to have lost out on anything from £1 million to £3 million because of heavy snow.