IT contractors may be required to help employers make working from home a more viable option, a leading business consultancy group has claimed.

Following recent weather conditions which barred many employees from getting to work, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has highlighted the benefit of allowing employees to work from home.

One firm saved 7,000 working days during the recent snowfall by enabling home working, PwC claims.

However, many companies will have to improve their IT infrastructure and their information security to allow this, according to Martin Caddick, leader of risk and business continuity management services at PwC.

The company's clients would also need to be consulted, as incorporating home working into a business plan would mean data could be accessed externally, Mr Caddick added.

"These challenges should not deter most businesses from implementing what is a pragmatic and cost effective solution. It is all about doing the thinking up front," he concluded.

Earlier this month, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation called for the public sector to consider incorporating more flexible working practices.