Homeworking 'may decrease networking opportunities'

Working from home may lead to workers missing out on potential networking opportunities, according to a new study.

Although homeworking is said to reduce the levels of stress involved in operating in a workplace environment, there are concerns among some such employees about their career progression, according to a new survey by Durham Business School.

Opportunities to move up the career ladder may be missed by not being situated in the office, according to the results that included the opinions of 749 managers, Personnel Today reports.

Tom Redman, professor of human resources management, commented that while working from home can provide respite from office-based stress, "this may be at the expense of lower levels of support for career development".

Nick Dines, head of communications at the British Chambers of Commerce told the website that managers should consider allowing employees to work from home as part of a flexible working programme.

According to Zurich, one-third of employees have spent time working from home.

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