Xiaoli Fernandes, an IT consultant, said: “To tell you the truth they are very good for me and my colleagues, the quality of work does not matter.”

Fernandes added: “It’s true that it’s a bit difficult to use the internet if you’re on the go. You need to have your laptop on you at all times and at work you need to be able to log in to your work and leave it for a few hours.

“You can’t just come back home and go straight to bed.”

Some of the firms that employ internet workers say they do not want to take extra time off a day or even a couple of weeks, which would cause inconvenience. Others, including some technology firms, have agreed to give a bonus if at least 40 percent of staff work from home, and to offer free internet in most of their offices.

However, some of the workers are unhappy about working from home and say their employers do not pay enough for the facilities.

In one case, a tech worker complained that she was being asked to come into work from home twice a week, “even though I work from home too,” while another employee said that working at home “takes away from the good day I get at work”.