Flexible working roles, such as those taken by IT contractors, are becoming more popular, it has been claimed.

Advances in technology and a changing attitude to work have meant that more employees are looking to work around their social engagements, according to Citrix Online.

Workers feel they should be able to work from home and choose flexible hours because the focus should be on the work the employee does, not when and where they do it, according to the group's director of marketing Andrew Millard.

"Our goals are now being aligned in that way where rather than having to clock in or be at your desk, you have a series of tasks that you need to complete and it almost doesn't matter where you are," he added.

His comments follow the publication of a report from Reed Recruitment, which claims that nearly half (48 per cent) of the UK workforce wants to spend more time working from home.