More benefits are yet to be realized

The survey found that there is a direct correlation between being given the tools to work anywhere (such as mobile access to files) and the inclination of employees to continue working past their set hours. Germans, who are given the least access to information on the move, are the most likely to switch off as soon as the working day is over.

There is also a direct correlation between the amount of freedom given to workers in the office and how much personal time they give up to complete work tasks. The British, whose bosses allow them the least freedom in the office to carry out personal tasks, spend the least time working when they’re out of the office.

In conjunction, allowing flexibility in the office and providing workers with the cloud and mobile applications they need to carry out their roles from wherever they are, encourages workers to give the most. Americans, who are given the most flexibility during their working hours, spend the most time working out of hours as well as the most time in the office.

Equally, employees see benefits in return as they are better able to juggle the demands of their personal lives by working from locations and at times that suit them best.

The concept of working 9-to-5 seems to have eroded from the consciousness of the respondents to the survey with neither employers nor employees expecting work to be contained in this way anymore. However, neither group fully appreciated the scale of the flexibility that the other was prepared to (or currently did) offer.

Finally, the report suggests that both employers and employees still have more to gain from the growing role of technology in the workplace. The findings showed that just 11 percent of people had access to enough tools to completely carry out their role remotely.

Of course, it’s never going to be possible for everyone to do their job from everywhere, but there appears to be a great deal of untapped opportunity for mobile and cloud tools to drive more benefits both for employers and employees.

Next: Methodology