Teleworking - economically and socially good

The lesson is simple for companies that want workers who work longer hours but consider themselves happier - let staff work from home.

One of the largest pieces of research of its type has found teleworkers generally feel they have a better quality of life, feel healthier and work more effectively.

The two year study by SusTel - an organisation that campaigns for sustainable teleworking - even pointed to improved personal relationships and more involvement in community activities - purely as a result of working via a computer and phone line.

Project co-ordinator Professor Peter James, Visiting Professor of Environmental Management at the University of Bradford, said it shows teleworking can be economically and socially beneficial.

One warning to come from the research is that of staff over-working, though James said avoiding that is usually simply a matter of good management.

The study covered five European countries and used six different surveys to gather views and data.

The SusTel project was co-ordinated by UK CEED (the UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development), an independent, not-for-profit organisation and funded by the European Commission's Information Society Technologies (IST) programme. It enlisted the help of Bradford University, BT and other organisations across Europe.