WE take many things in life with a pinch of salt and what people say is certainly one of them.

I only indulge in chocolate occasionally' is often taken to mean I eat bucket loads of the stuff but kid myself otherwise' while she's an excellent manager and we're a really strong team' could be read as she's totally useless and I really don't like her but I'm too professional to present a less than united front'.

And so it goes for all manner of domestic and business conversations the length and breadth of the country. Yet there is one phrase in particular that gets a lot of bosses - 21 per cent to be precise - all jittery and hot under the collar. But it has nothing to do with profits and expenditure or the bottom line and losses.

No, if you really want your line manager to sweat it, try uttering the immortal words I'm working from home today'.

According to a YouGov survey for communications company Mitel, far from picturing their dedicated members of staff slaving away at home rather than in the office, a quarter of bosses imagine them slobbing around in their pyjamas all day, glued to daytime TV instead of spreadsheets.

Figures also show 37 per cent are convinced teleworkers are more likely to use office hours to do personal activities and are powerless to resist the temptation of taking long lunch breaks.

A cynical 30 per cent think people working from home make the most of being away from the boss's ever-watchful eye by organising their social life.

But are all these negative stereotypes really called for? Two thirds (68 per cent) of employees told researchers that working from home would let them take a more flexible approach to work, which in turn would enable them to be more productive (41 per cent) and ultimately work longer hours (28 per cent).

Nearly one in five employees (18 per cent) would like the opportunity to work from home two days a week and over half (55 per cent) believe it is an acceptable option for staff at any level. So hadn't employers better sit up and take notice?

Psychologist and employee production expert Dr David Lewis said: "Managers must understand that every individual has a different style of working. By allowing staff to work in the way they feel best able to achieve results you can only benefit their well-being - and increase their productivity and ultimately customer service.

"It comes down to a matter of trust. If you trust and respect your employees to get the job done, they will trust and respect you in return and do the best they possibly can, regardless of whether they are in the office or not."

When casting the recruitment net many businesses are finding applicants are demanding flexible working as part of their package, alongside salary and traditional benefits.

Firms offering such options may have the edge over those that don't, so adapting to and keeping up with these ever-evolving working practices is an essential part of recruiting and retaining the cream of the talented crop.

And if bosses can get past the worst case scenario images they love dreaming up, they'd soon discover the benefits of home-working.

As well as reducing overheads, contributing to staff retention and happiness, improving customer satisfaction and increasing productivity, there's also a strong argument for the green cause.

Not only can basing staff at home help cut carbon emissions, it also means workers don't have to spend hours on end trapped in traffic jams contributing to the nation's congestion problems.

Worries about technology too unreliable and slow to sustain teleworking are also unfounded, as Graham Bevington, managing director of Mitel, explained: "With high speed broadband currently accounting for around 70 per cent of all household internet connections and a wealth of telecommunications technologies, such as IP telephony, now an affordable business standard for seamless connectivity to the office, the technology to enable home-working is more sophisticated than ever.

"Through the use of virtual teams using instant messaging to communicate, having the ability to set up video and conference calls and share documents from the network, there is no need for employers to panic that people working from home or outside the office cannot contribute to the business as a fully functioning member of the team.

He sums up: "Flexible working practices are becoming an integral part of a successful business strategy and can be a critical tool in the fight for a competitive advantage in the global marketplace."

With so many sound business and environmental arguments to persuade decision-makers of the merits of teleworking, what more could they possibly need?