THE idea of working from home was given a boost in the 2002 Employment Act.

It stated that any employee with children under six could request more flexible working hours and that employers are obliged to give such requests serious consideration.

There are many social and environmental benefits to home working. These include reduced commuting time and the costs of travel; a happier, more flexible, motivated and loyal workforce, increased skill retention and a more positive work/life balance for employees.

The introduction of internet communications, and particularly broadband technology, also increased the potential for remote working; for the first time, work started to go where the knowledge was instead of skills chasing work wherever it was to be found.

Businesses moved to more rural areas and highly qualified individuals began to relocate from the big cities. They were able to continue their professional careers while taking advantage of the lifestyle benefits of rural living.

Remote working also enables employers to reduce overheads and save space.

At AME Solutions, we are planning to relocate, or build new premises, as we are quickly outgrowing our present offices.

The pressure on us has been eased by one employee working full-time from home. Another, who commutes to Exeter from Plymouth, works one day a week from home and saves travelling around 4,000 miles a year in the process, contributing to carbon emission reduction.

The appalling weather in early January threw the advantages of remote working into sharp relief: the costs to the economy of people failing to get to work has been estimated at billions of pounds.

However, technology has come a long way since we first started emailing each other and businesses that are prepared to invest in improved technology can serve multiple remote PCs without breaking stride when freezing conditions ground the staff.

You can even provide reception services from someone's home and, with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), telephone calls made from home can be charged directly to the business.

This has obvious advantages for business continuity, especially where customer communication is para- mount. Technical support, customer service and sales offices are examples where employees can operate effectively outside the office building.

Remote working also enables businesses to have a regional representation, offering a physically closer and more personal relationship to customers and clients.

The business case for introducing and effectively managing a secure and remote working network is strengthened by its risk-reduction qualities. Catastrophes don't just come in the form of snowfall, and having remote working capabilities in place will assist in contingency planning and allow businesses to continue in times of crisis.

One drawback of these arrangements is the lack of professional interaction exchanged within the office. Training and developing a mutual understanding of how remote working benefits all parties are significant ingredients in producing a truly value-added business model.

Such arrangements may not suit every business or individual but, in the right circumstances, remote working can increase the bottom line at head office while providing more quality time with the family for employees.