A new home working policy introduced by East Cambridgeshire Council in January attracted 13 requests from staff – but is not being widely used.

A report to the regulatory and support services committee says the home working policy was agreed for a 12 month trial.

Nicole Pema, HR manager, says a short survey of those allowed to work from home, attracted eight responses.

Lack of social interaction was one drawback cited by staff but in the main respondents felt there were few downsides to the proposal.

Regular home working should be encouraged, was another response, and others thought it “cost effective, productive and efficient”.

Others felt it was positive option “for getting through a large volume of work without interruption and having to waste time travelling to the office”.

Ms Pema will also tell councillors that another view was that “policy and procedure is outdated- should be encouraged to frequently work form home and hot desk in the office”.

Two of the 13 employees allowed to work from home have since left the council- principal solicitor Amanda Apcar and Alison Conder, the principal leisure and community services officer.

The remaining 11 allowed to work from home are:

•Nigel Harper, senior building control surveyor

•John Jeffery, building control surveyor

•Rebecca Saunt, senior planning officer

•Julie Barrow, planning officer

Kayleigh Maguire, energy efficient officer

•Andrew Phillips, senior planning officer

•Lucy Flintham, office supervisor, planning

•Hetty Thornton-Barton, performance management officer.

The council will hear that one of the eight respondents has worked from home once, two once a month, four twice a month and one three times a month.