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Employers should be more open to accepting requests to work from home, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

However, despite this call for action two-thirds of bosses rarely say 'Yes' to employee requests to work from home, according to new research.

The latest quarterly CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook survey of UK employers also found that out of the employers who offer homeworking, 8 per cent believe homeworkers are less productive than their office-bound colleagues, while 30 per cent said they are more productive.

The top reasons given by organisations surveyed for working from home are to increase organisational flexibility, retain workforce or widen the talent pool and to meet employee demand.

The report also showed that a fifth of organisations said that they are more likely to accept requests from managers or professionals highlighting a trend in homeworking is yet to take place, although a quarter of employers say that homeworking will increase in their organisation in the next year.

Gerwyn Davies, policy adviser for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said: "The allure of homeworking for employees is becoming greater given the stress and rising costs associated with commuting. We also know that employees, particularly younger workers, are increasingly looking to work for organisations with strong green credentials - which can be enhanced by using homeworking to discourage unnecessary travel.

"The slow increase in the take-up of homeworking defies the evidence. Inflexible approaches to homeworking risk restricting the competitiveness and growth of UK organisations if employer and managerial mindsets do not change."

Dave Conder, head of human resources for KPMG, said: "In KPMG’s experience, offering homeworking can be a great motivator for people. It can also put a company in a stronger position when competing to recruit and retain talented people. Flexible working can help improve the productivity, morale and wellbeing of employees."

Looking to the future, statistics also revealed that more than half of employers surveyed said that the level of home working at their organisations will stay the same and just more than a quarter believe it will increase, with only 2 per cent believing it will decrease.