Due to the increase in the number of people using London's transport networks during the Games, public service workers are being encouraged to work from home where possible in order to reduce congestion and ensure they are able to do their jobs without becoming stuck in hold-ups.

However, there is some concern that not everybody is ready to work from home, so this week is designed to test the internet speeds of workers and ensure they have everything they need in place.

A document from the London Organising Committee read: "It is possible that internet services may be slower during the Games or in very severe cases there may be drop outs due to an increased number of people accessing the internet."

As a result, it added, some internet service providers may introduce data caps during peak times to attempt to provide a more equal service. It is hoped that this week will provide the opportunity to assess the network capabilities in advance of the Games themselves.

Starting today (5 February), the inaugural International Work at Home Person Week (iWAHP) has been arranged by an Australian-based international online community of home-based businesses.

However, it homes to draw attention to the fact that a large number of small businesses around the globe are based out of people's homes.

Cas McCullough, director of the organising group Support a WAHP, commented: “Isolation is a big factor for people who work from home as is the need to set clear boundaries between work-time and family-time.”

She added that the vast majority of businesses tend to be creative entrepreneurs who are keen to support each other. By bringing these people together they tend to find ways to support each other and create new opportunities.

The group also revealed that the majority of businesses based at home are owned and operated by women, with these kinds of micro-businesses outstripping growth in every other sector in the US in recent years, according to the American Express Open Forum.

This is according to a recent report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which has noted the differences between the workplace now and that of 1950s Britain.

In the past, the majority of people had set working hours, but now things have become more flexible due to the advance of digital information technology. As a result, employees' schedules are generally more flexible and there is more scope for them to work from home should they desire.

This, however, comes with a new problem of 'information overload'. With smartphones and laptops, people are nearly always available, making it hard for some individuals to separate their personal and work lives.

The increase in the number of people working from home could also be down to a change in the type of work Britain delivers. In 1952 there were around 8.7 million manufacturing jobs, but this has now fallen to just 2.5 million.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people in 'knowledge jobs' has risen from 25 to 44 per cent, while those in customer services and personal service jobs has risen from six to 16 per cent.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude and the new head of the Civil Service Sir Bob Kerslake explained that the Olympic Games have provided a catalyst to review the service's working patterns.

It is hoped that the changes will eventually deliver a “more corporate” service, boosting efficiency and easing the pressure on London's transport system by embracing new technologies, such as video conferencing.

“The vision is to get a more collaborative way of working, a more corporate way of working in the Civil Service,” Sir Bob told the paper. “I think a less hierarchical way of working is good for those in it because they get less of a sense of having to clear everything through a long chain.”

He already works from home himself on occasion and is also working at embracing alternative forms of transport to the office when possible.

However, both men conceded that not everyone will want to work from home and not all government work can be done offsite. But the shake-up should improve efficiency overall and make things more flexible for employees.

Speaking to the Western Mail, Paul Williams explained that he has worked from home for several years from his home in Tongwynlais, a village close to Cardiff.

"I find it fantastic," he enthused. "There is no rush house commute to the office and I can work the hours to suit myself to fit in with whatever else I want to do that day."

Mr Williams dedicated one room of his house as his office and study, which he has filled with photographs of successful events he organised in the past. He is then able to come into this room at any time that suits him and get on with work. However, it is worth noting that many home workers prefer to keep set hours in order to motivate themselves.

While working from home allows him to be more flexible with his time and work in an atmosphere ideally suited to him, he told the news source that the best aspect of it is the company of his four-year-old Jack Russel/Corgi cross dog curled up at his feet throughout the working day.

Military communications firm Selex Elsag has announced its plans to close the site due to the “very challenging business environment” and the reduction in government spending.

Around 45 people work at the site and they will either be moved to the sister site in Bristol or given the chance to work from home. Reports from the Liverpool Daily Post confirmed that the company intends to give some of the employees affected the chance to work from home, although others may face redundancy.

“The proposed rationalisation is intended to ensure that the company has an effective operating structure, can continue to retain the best skills in the industry, while improving its competitive position,” it stated.

The company is part of the larger Italian Finmeccanica Group and currently employs 700 people in varying roles across the UK. At the moment it is focusing on expansion of cyber security measures in order to meet a growing level of demand both locally and on an international basis.

The technology, provided by Becrypt, is a simple key fob and will enable any of the council's workforce to securely access its network through their home PCs, while preventing any malware to leak through from the private system and limiting the council data that can be kept on the home computer.

Adrian Gorst, head of ICT service delivery at Islington Council, commented: “Trusted Client was the knockout product of Infosec 2009, and it ticked a lot of boxes for us: being the only fully accredited CESG solution of its type, it enables us to fulfil our security obligations, while ensuring that we can accommodate our employee’s flexible working requirements.”

The council hopes that the move with cut around £100 million from its budget over the course of the next four years, which will be around a third of its net total budget. But it should also expand the flexible working options for its employees.

Indeed, chief executive of Becrypt, Bernard Parsons, noted that employers are increasingly required to offer the opportunity to work remotely while ensuring that the enterprise itself is “protected from malware and viruses from home PCs accessing their networks.

This is according to a recent survey conducted by recruitment firm Office Angels, which found that 71 per cent of people surveyed believe that there will be a rise in the number of home workers by 2036.

However, this could have a range of knock-on effects. For example, 54 per cent of those questioned believed that they may never meet other members of their team, while 39 per cent reckon that employees are equally unlikely to meet their bosses before they start work.

While this will obviously increase the flexibility on offer for employees, there is a risk that it will have a negative impact on the working environment, with 43 per cent of employers questioned stating that they are worried about a lack of engagement and loyalty if people only ever work from home.

David Clubb, MD of Office Angles, commented: “Remote working can be a great tool for a business, offering a flexible working model which benefits its employees and allows access to a greater pool of talent, as location is less of an issue.

“However, it's essential that companies continue to support their staff and do not allow them to feel abandoned.”

But once the business is up and running, it might be worth looking into your insurance situation to check that you are covered for your new employment situation.

David Martin from Allianz recently told the Mirror that people who work from home should conduct a risk assessment of their house before they set up their business to ensure they are on top of the Health and Safety Act requirements.

He added that insurance for any business stock kept around the house is also worth considering, as is business interruption cover, which will protect loss of gross profit if “an insured event prevents the business from trading normally”.

If the company takes on additional employees, then of course there is a legal requirement for the business owner to have employers' liability insurance. Neglecting this could result in fines of up to £2,500 for each day that it is not in place.

So while insurance may not be top of the list when you first establish your business, do think carefully about it as soon as possible to avoid complications further down the line.

Writing for Fast Company, Kevin Purdy noted that while it may not initially seem important to carry out the old routine that was required for working in an office, many home workers come to regret not keeping up these things in the long-run.

Dressing respectively, for example, and shaving or applying make-up, may all seem like unnecessary time-wasters when you first start to work from home. But a few months in, when you're lazing on the couch in your underwear at midday and struggling to get that report finished while watching the television, you may well come to regret your lack of personal discipline.

Mr Purdy also noted the social change that comes from not working out of an office. There is a tendency to rely heavily on social networking sites to replace the chat that previously took place between colleagues.

However, many home workers speak highly of their increased productivity when working from home thanks to the lack of distractions, so remember this once you're settled into a routine and try to keep Facebook and Twitter time to a minimum.