Some agencies also offer telecommuting programs, which allow selected workers to perform some job duties at home or from regional centers.

Even the consultant Gail Nelson, who helps companies set up telecommuting programs, admits to getting a little nervous when she calls employees who work at home and doesn't get an answer.

Ms. Wohl's enthusiasm notwithstanding, telecommuting programs appear to be at a crossroads for many workers.

"They're working very hard to institutionalize it," said Gil Gordon, a consultant who works with many companies, including Merrill Lynch, in formulating telecommuting programs.

According to a 2007 benefits survey conducted by the Society of Human Resources Management, 56 percent of U.S. companies offer some type of telecommuting program.

When companies come to Hewitt for advice on setting up telecommuting programs, Ms. Sladek said, they are sometimes surprised at the cultural shifts they need to make.

If you have to get a proposed telecommuting program approved by upper management, it also helps to have statistics from similar companies that have successful telecommuting programs.

"We're all competing for the same workers," she noted, so a telecommuting program could prove a helpful recruiting tool, especially for younger people, because they are comfortable with the technology.

Many initiatives have benefited women, he said, including a 13-week paid maternity leave and a flexible telecommuting program.

According to a 2007 survey, what percent of U.S. companies offer some type of telecommuting program?