Some surveys have revealed managers' fears about their unsupervised staff slacking off. Some people claim that the technology isn't good enough others say, the cost of internet and phone connections are prohibitively high. Others have, contrarily, pointed out that staff tend to be more productive in the comfort of their home. The technology does work. And net connections are now cheaper than ever before.

The fuel crisis served to highlight the potential benefits of teleworking. Yet as soon as the pumps were flowing again, we were all back in our cars and back in the office. So why aren't more staff demanding the right to work from home? Today, another survey revealed a crucial, and hitherto neglected, issue: teleworkers' health and safety rights.

According to the Gartner Group, employers are failing to address their needs in company teleworking strategies. While the law demands employers maintain certain health and safety standards on company premises, the regulations governing people working from home are much less clear. It's about time this situation was addressed. It isn't easy to sort out the legal niceties behind teleworking. But in some ways, the law itself gives companies an excuse not to encourage more flexible working practices.   It's about time the regulations were updated for the 21st century - or failing that, let's see companies seize the initiative themselves and work out their own, legally binding teleworking practices.