The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has called on the British government and businesses around the country to respond to the needs of their staff and create new ways of working.

A new survey of small business bosses in the UK has discovered there is a good deal of enthusiasm for flexible working practices, such as allowing employees to operate from home.

For many employees in the UK flexible working can be more of a necessity than an advantage, according to Peter Connor from the North West Working Group.

Businesses in the UK need to understand and begin to leverage the benefits of smarter working practices, according to the UK skills envoy and former director general of the Confederation of British Industry Sir Digby Jones.

Companies across Britain should take steps to implement flexible working practices, such as enabling staff to operate from home, or risk losing their competitive edge, it has been suggested.

Businesses looking to take advantage of having a more flexible workforce should ensure that relevant health and safety precautions are put in place to protect employees working from home, it has been suggested.

The average distance travelled by a British commuter has increased by six per cent during the last decade and now stands at around 8.7 miles, it has been revealed.

An increased level of productivity is rated as the most significant benefit home-based workers can offer businesses in the UK, according to research from the human resources firm Ceridian.

There are thousands of mobility-restricted people in the UK who could be putting their skills to use as contact centre operatives, but much of their potential remains largely untapped, it has been claimed.

A new videoconferencing device which it is claimed will help ease the transition towards "mass adoption" of teleworking technology has been unveiled.