According to new data released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, more than half of employers are making changes to their working practices during the Olympics to enable staff to work more flexibly or enable them to watch key events at work. Almost three in ten employers say they will try and accommodate requests from employees to work from home; 17% will extend flexible working opportunities, while 13% will actively encourage staff to work from home.

While it is interesting and rather surprising to note that the research does not suggest that employers would maximise the amount of time staff could take by way of holiday.