Inevitably, businesses are feeling the squeeze of the credit crunch. But employee panic regarding ‘presenteeism’, i.e. being seen to be in the office in order to avoid redundancy, is counterproductive to the sensitive navigation of any economic downturn. Remote working should be encouraged in order to keep costs to a minimum and maximise moral and it is the job of the employer to reassure staff that this is the case.

The absence of the daily commute alone is benefitting the environment, saving money and improving staff satisfaction. To remove these benefits now is ludicrous. If there is any investment to be made this year, it should be in technology that facilitates remote working to fully utilise IT. Employers should be reassuring their staff that results are what matter in this climate, not panicked appearances in the office that could actually fuel an already stressful environment.