Working from home was once regarded as an envied privilege, but it has become quite common for many businesses today. Indeed, working remotely doesn't strictly mean working from home. With wireless, mobile technology, employees are able to perform professional duties while using public transport or in a café, for example.

The willingness of employers to provide such flexible working arrangements may seem surprising to some, but can often be beneficial for them as well as their employees.

Once the remote worker is self-disciplined enough to do his/her work from home or on the go, their rate of productivity usually increases — a welcome development no doubt helped by the elimination of time wasted in traffic jams. Employees might also feel a compulsion to repay their manager's trust by intrinsically working harder, which comes easier when they are happy in their work.

Remote working is not a flawless concept, of course. Aside from the obvious fear of employees exploiting such arrangements to slack off, remote workers are also at the mercy of technological difficulties that have been known to arise.

If Skype malfunctions, for instance, the lines of communication between the worker at home and the manager in the office could be severed. Imagine how disastrous it would be if Skype suddenly dropped in the middle of a crucial client meeting.

Still, such occurrences are rare, and it is far more probable that remote workers will show appreciation for their employer's flexibility by delivering a greater deal of productivity than they would if they were compelled to commute to work and sit at their desk for five days a week. It's no wonder business leaders are expecting remote working arrangements to become increasingly commonplace.

Take a look at the infographic below for more on working remotely.