Many bosses think home working is a euphemism for slacking off, according to research published today.

A significant proportion of employers do not trust staff to telework with one in five (21 per cent) believing that working from home translates as ‘I’m taking it easy today,’ in a survey of 1,200 managers and employees conducted by vendor Mitel .

Over a third (37 per cent) of managers think staff working from home will use the time to conduct personal activities, such as taking a long lunch, while a further 30 per cent believe employees will use the time to arrange their social life.

However, two thirds (68 per cent) of employees believe that by working from home would mean they are more flexible, enabling them to be more productive (41 per cent), and end up working longer hours (28 per cent).

Nearly one in five employees (18 per cent) would like the opportunity to work from home two days a week, and over half (55 per cent) believe it is an acceptable option for any level.

Dr David Lewis, a psychologist and employee productivity expert, said: ‘Managers must understand that every individual has a different style of working, so by allowing staff to work how they feel best able to achieve results can only benefit their wellbeing and most importantly increase their productivity and ultimately customer service.’

He says teleworking boils down to trust.

‘If you trust and respect your employees to get the job done, they will trust and respect you in return and do the best they possibly can, regardless of whether they are in the office or not,’ said Lewis.

Bosses must come to terms with teleworking, however, as many recruits are demanding flexible working as part of their package, says Lewis.

‘Businesses must keep up with, and adapt to, ever evolving working practices is they want to continue recruiting and retaining the cream of the talent pool,’ he said.

The research points says teleworking can be supported by a wealth of communication technologies and has several advantages including reducing overheads, increasing productivity and staff retention, and relieving environmental pressures by decreasing travel.

Graham Bevington, managing director of Mitel, said: ‘Through the use of virtual teams using instant messaging to communicate, having the ability to set up video and conference calls an share documents from the network, there is no need for employers to panic that people working from home or outside the office cannot contribute to the business as a fully functioning member of the team.’