Below is an article originally printed in The Informant, summer 2008 edition, with additional links provided.

With the price of gas rising every day, wouldn’t it be great to give up your daily commute? Many people have. Telecommuting or teleworking is an arrangement in which employees can work from home, or coffee shops, or libraries, or wherever they can use mobile telecommunications technology.

All you need is a computer, a phone, some network support and you’re off!

Typically, a telecommuting arrangement allows the employee to work one to three days at home. In rare cases, the employee works from a remote location all the time and rarely interacts with co-workers and managers. is becoming more and more popular with employees and with companies who can see its benefits in attracting and retaining skilled employees.

According to data released by the U.S., Census Bureau, “Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year.”(1) That’s a lot of traveling time and a lot of petroleum use.

If more companies supported telecommuting, Americans could significantly cut our dependency on foreign oil, save gas, and reduce greenhouse gases. Not to mention having more time at home.

Working from home can save time and money and can help increase productivity. Studies show that working from home can reduce stress and increase job satisfaction. Because the employee has more control and more flexibility with family, he or she has more hours in a day to get the work done.

Telecommuting isn’t for everyone or every type of job. Working from home requires high levels of motivation and time management skills.

But if you’re tired of high gas prices and think that you can do your job just as well at home, below are some more articles to help you make a case.

Who knows, you may just have what it takes to join the more than 12 million teleworkers in the U.S.

Work At Home

Five Telecommuting Myths Revealed

Telecommuting a win-win situation, study finds

The Rise of the Web Commuter: Citrix Survey Reveals 23% of Americans Are “Working from Anywhere” — 62% Wish They Could

1. U.S. Department of Commerce. (March 30, 2005) U.S. Census Bureau News Press Release. Americans Spend More Than 100 Hours Commuting To Work Census Bureau Reports. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from the World Wide Web:http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/004489.html