It's a new year, but an old favorite of mine.  From the moment I was given my own laptop years ago, and given the option to work from home a couple days a week, I marveled at the transformation it made it my personal and professional life. But truth be told, I always felt a bit guilty that it was a privilege mostly reserved for management, and it went without saying, reserved primarily for certain types of professions - consulting, public relations, business development-type jobs.  I've certainly heard grumbles from junior level staffers about the fact that they have to be at their desks in the office at 8 a.m. each day, and not surprisingly, someone actually did a study showing that telecommuting can have an adverse effect on 'those left behind in the office.'

That's why companies who stretch their imagination and find creative ways to make it work for a broader swath of employees deserve to be applauded.  Jet Blue is one of those companies. They are now using at-home agents for its reservation center - certainly, I used to think of reservation agents as a "left behind in the office" kind of job. But for the airline it was not only a way to reward their employees but it also reduced the cost of booking a flight by 20 percent. Numerous other companies have found that telecommuting can not only improve morale and productivity but reduce greenhouse gases. 

The government's getting into the game now, setting up a website promoted jointly by The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to help potential tele-workers and their managers navigate the process..... if they find a way to let mail carriers telecommute, I'll be really impressed.