Working from home is a growing trend but it is not suitable for everyone

Madam Teo Geok Leng, 55, has been working in the same company for more than six years. But when she steps into the office, some colleagues look at her as though she is a stranger.

The senior consultant at Absolute Kinetics Consultancy, which provides consultancy and occupational safety and health training services, steps into the company's office in Bukit Batok only about five times a year for meetings. Most of the time, she works from home.

She says: "This flexibility is good for me as I can attend to my daughter. My parents are in their 80s and I can accompany them for medical check-ups too."

Unlike Madam Teo, employees of Internet corporation Yahoo! will no longer enjoy such flexibility. Earlier this week their chief executive, Ms Marissa Mayer, made headlines when she abolished their work-from- home policy, ordering everyone back to work in the office.