Just 20% of British employers offer tele-working and 48% allow staff to work to flexi-time, according to a report by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

It said opportunities for flexible working were restricted to relatively few people, which no longer fits in with the way people live their lives.

The EOC is calling on employers, politicians and the Government to offer a new working culture that is fit for everyone in the UK.

It has come up with four different models:

• Timelords - those who can control their own hours, such as writers and researchers.
• Shift-shapers - those with set hours and locations such as nurses and shop workers.
• Time-stretchers - those with a set place of work but who can control their hours, such as decorators and travel agents.
• Remote-controllers - those with set hours who can control where they work, such as call centre staff.