...I'm just about to start home working. I could have years ago, but I was waiting for our software to be Mac compatible. If I'm gonna work from the garden, I want to do it in comfort :-D

Our financial director is encouraging remote working as a cost saving, not an added expense. Assuming, that is, that we do actual work when at home...

I worked from home for a couple of years. It was great not having to commute - it added 3+ hours to my life every day - more if you count not getting out of pyjamas for work ;) Plus, the whole family can go on holidays and you can keep working as long as there is an internet connection.

That said, it isn't a great thing to do continuously. In a tech team, something is definitely lost when there is no "water-cooler" chat, especially if there is staff turnover. Maybe a ventrillo server would be a good plan. VoIP is definitely recommended so that no-one has qualms about chatting and your desk telephone number is mobile.

Senior people tend to work more hours so them not working while at home is less of an issue. In fact, it should be up to the line manager to assess the work (not) being done. I would have also thought that for closely monitored/measured workers ( e.g. call centre workers) working from home would be great.

I've been a remote worker for over 3 years now. Remote? How remote?

How about 3000 miles remote?

The rest of my team is 3000 miles away, including my boss. I work in a virtual team from afar, it has been great. I'm more productive as I have far fewer distractions. They have even paid for me to fly over for each of their annual Christmas parties! WooT.

Remote working is great!!

Interesting, if unsurprising. There was a lot of hype about the rise in teleworking, as maybe in some industries and some company types, that's been borne out, but for the rest of us... I know of companies where the work suits homeworking down to a tee, and where homeworkers are (purportedly) welcomed with open arms. The reality doesn't always match the company mantra though. Working shouldn't have to be about sitting at a desk, and making sure you ratch up your volume when the MD/CIO/HR director goes by. I've seen many an individual in the office doing browsing that would be hard pressed to link into any report they're working on. Presence in the offices doesn't equate to productivity. Having been a homeworker for 5+ years, it works for me. Downsides exist, but, identified and dealt with, they're no big deal. Currently technology makes homeworking truly feasible. But technology aside, if trust doesn't exist between employee and employer, if communication channels aren't open and honest, with clarity around what is and is not expected, if sound working processes aren't established, then get back into the office. But then, would you want to work for that type of company anyway?

Do the people who do the cost analysis take into account the fact that if you make your home your workplace, a lot of legal implications need to be considered? Your domestic home insurance, fo example, and what you tell the council re your council tax.

My manager discourages it as he's an old school manager and clearly if I'm not sat at my desk I can't be working. Despite the fact that I work for a very high tech company and what I do is measurable so they would know if I wasn't working. Some bosses are just Asshats.

Anon just in case the asshat reads it and realises that even though I'm in the office I can still surf the reg

A locked down IRC server (limited external access over vpn, no user created channels) works well for the general water cooler chat.

I remote-work less than I used to.

I use Linux in my home office and my customer uses Juniper MyNet VPN (as was Neoteris.) Unfortunately MyNet is becoming less and less Linux compatible with each edition since Juniper bought Neoteris and is now a real pain in the ****. Shame on you Juniper. Shame on you. The world is moving forward and you're moving backwards. Why can't you make a Java app work cross-platform and why does it insist that I have Symantec Antivirus and Proventia firewall on a Linux box?

I'm currently trying to fool MyNet into thinking my Linux box is a Mac running Safari.

This is all costing time and money.