A survey commissioned by Microsoft looked at support for remote working for information workers in 25 midsized US cities and found adoption lags employee preferences.

Remote working can be cheaper for employers as it allows smaller premises, reduced insurance and utility costs and other savings.

Employees are largely attracted by the opportunity to reduce or practically eliminate the time, cost and inconvenience of commuting.

Weather is an important part of that, and remote working is especially favoured during the winter in most cities - the exceptions being Las Vegas, Nevada, and West Palm Beach, Florida, where it is favoured during the summer months.

Improved productivity thanks to fewer interruptions was also cited by employees.

Yet the survey found only 40 percent of employers have a formal remote-working policy, despite broad support for the practice. The standout was Buffalo, New York, where 68 percent of companies have such policies.

And earlier suspicions that people working at home are slacking off (or bludging or skiving, depending on which part of the English-speaking world you're from) have faded, with employers, managers and co-workers supporting such programs.

Which are the top ten midsized US cities for remote working? Find out on page 2.

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Yet remote working is still a minority practice, even where employees want it and their bosses and co-workers are onside.

"Strategic use of a remote work force and supporting technologies can be a competitive game-changer in this down economy, especially for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that have historically trailed large enterprise companies in adopting remote working practices," said Michael Park, corporate vice president of the US small and midmarket solutions & partners group at Microsoft.

"After surveying those areas where SMBs employ a large percentage of the local work force, our findings suggest that businesses that currently leverage remote workers are enjoying an advantage over their competitors," he added.

So if you're a would-be remote worker, which are the best mid-size cities to settle in?

According to the survey, the list is:

San Diego, California
West Palm Beach, Florida
Buffalo, New York
Salt Lake City, Utah
Raleigh, North Carolina
Oklahoma City. Oklahoma
Nashville, Tennessee
Charleston, South Carolina.
Greensboro, North Carolina
Hartford-New Haven, Connecticut

On the other hand, employers in Las Vegas, Nevada, were the least supportive of remote working. And New Orleans, Louisiana, and Louisville, Kentucky, showed significantly lower levels of support from managers, peers and colleagues.