A number of departments within the United States government are making progress in an ongoing effort to see employees operate from their own homes, according to reports.

The government is keen to see working from home become more widespread among its staff and the latest figures show that there were just over 119,000 federal employees classed as telecommuters during 2005.

Furthermore, while there are certain people whose job would not allow them to be based at home, the potential to cut congestion and improve emergency planning means the government wants to see teleworking become more prevalent, reports the Washington Post.

A recent report from the Office of Personnel Management concluded that progress was being made on this regard, but also noted that "there is still work to be done to fully integrate telework into the culture and business practices of some federal agencies".

Meanwhile, a number of British politicians, including leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron, have come out in support of encouraging more flexible working practices.