Employees who work from home slog away for at least seven hours a week longer than those in office, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Texas in Austin found that contrary to popular opinion, home workers toil harder than their colleagues who commute.

The study found that employees who work from home add five to seven hours to the standard 40-hour week compared with those who work exclusively at the office, the Daily Express reported.

Employees admitted to using technology such as email to perform office work even when sick or on vacation.

The study found that so-called teleworking blurs the boundary between work and home.

Rising petrol prices and increasing demand for a more equal work-life balance had prompted many white-collar staff to work from home.

The study, published in Monthly Labour Review, concluded that teleworking is not helpful in reducing work-family conflicts.

The researchers also found that parents with dependent children are no more likely to work from home than the population as a whole.