The research is launched today (18 March) to coincide with the start of Anywhere Working Week and is an Ipsos MORI study of UK office workers.
The study found when working away from the office, employees tend to overcompensate in order to quash colleagues’ negative perceptions.
But it also benefits businesses in terms of creativity as it also found one third (38%) say they can be more creative when they are able to work flexibly.
The move comes just weeks after Yahoo’s relatively new CEO Marissa Mayer signalled a step-change by cracking down on home and flexible working.
But Steve Tassell, unified communications product manager at Microsoft tells CBR its not about home working.
"It seems everyday there’s another story about the should we shouldn’t we work from home debate," he said. "What we’re saying is businesses should not penalise those who work remotely in terms of progression.
"The technology is there if you’re able to work remotely and this saves time in commuting between meetings, and can even turn commutes into time spent working."
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Obviously this does throw up the security question but Tassell argues this is another misconception. "Whether you’re on a public WiFi or in an office if you’re on the internet the threat is the same. There’s a perception that because you’re behind closed doors you’re safer – that’s not true."
Another finding was that nearly half (47%) make a conscious attempt to be extra visible by sending more emails and making more phone calls. Around 30% feel guilty about not being in the office, with around 39% working longer hours to prove they are not ‘shirking from home’.
