Surge in home working

Serviced office operator Regus has reported that employers are responding to the recession by getting more staff to work from home.

The British group already provides flexible working services such as telephone answering and occasional meeting rooms to nearly 180,000 home-based workers and other nomads.

Mark Dixon, its chief executive and founder, predicted that this total would soar to a level equivalent to "multiples" of the 2008 figure this year as the home-working trend develops.
"We expect to see that number significantly increase in 2009 as more and more companies look to more innovative and creative ways to cut costs."
However, this comes at a cost to landlords, as occupiers need less space it could result in a flood of second-hand space coming onto the market.

To what extent is it possible to ditch the office for a work at home lifestyle, and is it highly dependent on industry?