If you dread having to work in an office environment, day in and day out, a new survey might just make your day.

With the increase in gas prices, the cost of living in general, and the increased length of commutes for many employees, it is no surprise that a large amount of employees are not working off-site, according to an OfficeTeam survey.

Seven in 10 senior executives say that their employees regularly work away from the office, and almost three-quarters think that the number of people working off-site will continue to grow in the next five years (only 3 per cent believe it will decrease).

Executives claimed that it was very common for 24 per cent of their employees to work away from the office and 46 per cent said it was somewhat common.

"High fuel prices are causing people to look for alternatives to lengthy commutes, and working from home or at locations closer to home are attractive options," said Dave Willmer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Technology has also made it easier for employees to work remotely when traveling for business."

However, even with these problems, many companies are not offering a lot of options. According to a Hewitt Associates online survey, only about half of companies are currently offering employees the option of working from home or a office closer to their home and 36 per cent do not offer flexible work hours.

Interestingly, according to the survey it is employee health related to stress that may be the reason for the measures.

"Commuting can be extremely stressful," said Hewitt senior organizational health consultant Rochelle Morandini. "Any methods employers offer to alleviate that stress will benefit employees. However, if organizations think more creatively, they can have a bigger impact on the environment, as well as on employee health and financial well-being."

Many of us would like to work off-site, however, all position are not a good fit for all employees. Doing research on a company’s policy, convincing the company that it will benefit them, having a plan, showing discipline, staying in touch or even working remotely on a trial basis, are all factors to consider when discussing working away from the office with an executive.

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