In my pre-kid life, I never imagined that someday I'd be a stay-at-home mom -- hey, I didn't go to grad school to spend my days changing diapers. But when I held my first baby, Mathilda, I had a complete change of heart. As soon as we locked eyes, all those career and financial worries faded. They didn't disappear, but they certainly became secondary.
Each morning 26-year old Octavia Silva gets up, showers, puts on her business clothes, does her make up, and then starts her workday as an administrative assistant -- from a table in her living room.
Do you work at home? If so, you've got a lot of company.
Winter's chill is already being felt across much of the country and in Washington that brings back memories of last year's record snowfall and the five day near-government shutdown that came with it.
Dear Annie: I'm in an awkward situation that reminds me of Oscar Wilde's famous remark about the two tragedies in life. ("One is not getting what you want," he said, "and the other is getting it.")
Heather Armstrong, the woman behind the popular blog Dooce, understands how important flexible working policies can be for employees and their families.
When Jim Ball ran a traditional call center in Golden, Colo., in the late 1990s, employee turnover was rampant. Often, Ball was forced to hire just about anyone who walked in the door because few people were willing to commute to the call center and sit in a sterile cubicle for minimum wage.
Most job seekers say they're willing to do whatever it takes to find work in this economy. But are they willing to move 3,000 miles away?
If you ask Adrian Miller where she works, her answer may depend on where she happens to be standing.
updated: Fri Jan 22 2010 07:35:00
A new projector phone that helps you take the office anywhere.
With gas prices inching their way back up and traffic in most metropolitan areas bottlenecking along any rush-hour route, it's a wonder that the majority of the modern office workforce doesn't telecommute.
Thandi Zulu was single, pregnant and staying at a women's shelter in Houston, Texas, when she received a mysterious letter one day.
Working from home is the new casual Friday. It's one of those perks that many employers have incorporated into their policies, but it's still not the norm and most everyone wishes it were.
Google filed a lawsuit against Pacific WebWorks and other unnamed defendants for allegedly using the company's name and colorful logo to promote fraudulent work-at-home money-making schemes.
Leo Mendoza is a typical IBM sales rep. Based in Chicago, he starts his day with a 5:45 a.m. swim at a local health club, then usually hits the road by 7:15 to see clients in Milwaukee or Racine. A couple of days a week, he works from home. How often does he see his boss in person? Maybe once a month, maybe less.
"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."
updated: Wed Jul 15 2009 08:57:00
Personal finance editor Gerri Willis offers tips on how to avoid job scams.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was working from home Thursday after fracturing her right elbow during a fall the day before, State Department officials said.
Following the outbreaks of SARS and avian flu earlier this decade, Sprint Nextel has taken the threat of a global flu pandemic very seriously. And in 2005 the company created a special group within its Emergency Incident Management team to plan what to do in such an emergency.
Although most states saw the number of initial unemployment claims rise last week, 14 saw the number of filings drop, the government said Thursday.
It is at least 1,000 pages long. It costs $787 billion. And it's as thick as two telephone books.
As a record number of Americans collect unemployment benefits, some U.S. economists predict that jobless claims are "nowhere near their peak."
With the nation's unemployment rate at 7.6% and expectations for it to go even higher in this year, work-at-home Web sites which promise big money for little or no experience are extremely tempting in the best of times, but now more than ever, people are falling victims to work-at-home scams.
There are over 11 and a half million people looking for jobs. And almost 8 million people have settled for a part-time job, simply because they couldn't find a full-time position.
The unemployment rate is at 7.2% - that's a sixteen year high. And even some people who ARE working aren't in a job that matches their skills.
Why don't you tell your boss you are going to work from home this year, and it's not just for your sake, but for the sake of the environment.
More than a decade after the Internet allowed millions of people to work at home, the next phase of telecommuting involves, well, not working at home.
I work full-time at home. I have a babysitter for Gus, 7, and Jeb, 5, so that, in theory, I have eight hours a day to write freelance articles and run our family's lavender farm.
In the last few years, working from home has gone from being a rarity to a reality.
Americans really like the idea of working from the comfort of home... a lot.
Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May compared with a year earlier, according to a report Monday from the Federal Highway Administration.
How did you get to work today? The average U.S. commute is now about 30 miles and, with gas at a record $3.97 per gallon, that can hit employees' wallets pretty hard. (Oh, you've noticed?)
If you're a mom who not only has beautiful children but also a job you love, plenty of people have probably said you "have it all."
Jobseekers often ask me what the difference is between a "standard" resume and a telecommute resume. Here are the differences:
What's the worst part of your workday? Is it your job or all the work you do just getting to and from the office? Consider how much time you spend on packing your lunch, sitting in rush hour twice a day, deciding which grocery store is easiest to get to on the way home not to mention the money you spend on dry cleaning your clothes.
I wanted to get college funds started for the kids this year. Should I invest in a 529 plan or a Roth IRA? I thought you could take money out of your Roth for education and not be penalized. - James, Kansas.
As a sole proprietor who works primarily online, every day I face a painful decision: work from home or go to a coffeehouse?
You've made up your mind. You're going to stop procrastinating, update that resume and (finally) look for a new job.
You've made up your mind. You're going to stop procrastinating, update that resume and (finally) look for a new job.
Americans really like the idea of working from the comfort of home... a lot. If you search the phrase "work from home" on Google, 1.8 billion search results appear and there are countless studies, books, chat rooms, message boards and blogs devoted to the subject. And why wouldn't anyone want a 30-second commute?
It's unfortunate, but true: many people who work from home find that their work is trivialized by others simply because of the atmosphere in which they work. Because you are at home, friends and family seem to assume that you must always have time to talk to them or that they can drop by anytime when, in fact, the opposite is most often the case.
The last time Amy Zuckerman, 53, entered a workplace as a full-time employee was February 1992. Once a journalist, she is now an author, freelance writer, consultant and owner of her own content and marketing business.
Kristie Tamsevicius, author of "I Love My Life: A Mom's Guide to Working From Home," was wooing a client by phone when her nearby 4-year-old yelled that her baby brother had a poopy diaper.
How would you like to work from home? No hustling out the door 10 minutes late, no fighting your road rage or battling for the last seat on train, no fast food lunch and no noisy co-workers. Sounds like heaven doesn't it?
When we think about telecommuting, we often focus on the blissful freedoms that come with it. Freedom to set our own hours, raid the refrigerator ... even take early morning calls in our underwear.
Are skyrocketing gasoline prices cursing your commute? Wondering why you're driving to work only to spend your hard-earned dollars to get you there and back? Perhaps telecommuting is the answer.
Dilbert spends much of his life in a cubicle, battling the insanities of working for the pointy-haired boss. His creator, Scott Adams, works at home, although he too once had a corporate job.
Irritated by the highest gas prices in U.S. history, John Thorner has a message for his 70 employees: Stay home.
CNN spoke with radio show hosts, authors, consultants and home-based business owners Paul and Sarah Edwards to find out some of their hard-learned secrets to being successful while working from home.
CNN spoke with the host of the syndicated radio show, "The Small Business Advocate," Jim Blasingame, to find out what it takes to run a successful home-based business.
CNN spoke with entrepreneur, speaker and home-based business coach Jane Pollak to find out what it takes to work from home and be successful. "I'm such an advocate for home-based businesses," said the 58-year-old businesswoman, whose Norwalk, Connecticut, house is literally home base of her enterprises. "If you can do it, and thrive, it's the best."
Jobseekers often ask me what the difference is between a "standard" resume and a telecommute resume. Here are the differences:
updated: Fri Sep 21 2007 03:44:00
CNN's Gerri Willis offers tips on setting up a home-based business.
Economic news out last week pointed to a weakening trend in job growth. With tightening credit standards and a stagnant housing market and worries about a recession on the horizon, you may be thinking about padding up that bank account a little. We'll tell you how to make a little extra income at home.
Ah, the wonders of technology. The next time you call an 800 number to place an order from a catalog, a Web site or an infomercial, you may be speaking to a customer-service agent who is working at home.
Anthony Page stood on the beach of Malaysia's tiny Perhentian Kecil Island and marveled at the isolation. Around him were bamboo huts and miles of blue water. Much of the island was jungle, inhabited by coconut-hurling monkeys and giant monitor lizards. Yet he wasn't entirely cut off. At night, when the electricity came on, Page could pull out his laptop and hook up, via satellite link, to the Web. "There's always an Internet connection somewhere, even in the poorest, most desperate country," he says.
Juggling work, family, friends and community may seem sometimes like an impossible task. A flexible work schedule may be one solution to a better work-life balance.
Employees at the Seattle office of the U.S. Government Accountability Office know that they have to put in 80 hours of work every two weeks.
Employees at the Seattle office of the U.S. Government Accountability Office know that they have to put in 80 hours of work every two weeks. But they can configure those hours pretty much how they'd like, with the exception of the one day a week their managers require all employees to be at the office at the same time.
NOT SO LONG AGO, ANYBODY WHO CLAIMED TO BE "working from home" was merely using the accepted code phrase for nursing a hangover and hiding under the covers until The Price Is Right came on. But the...
Dear Annie: I've been in my job (a new vice president position in a newly-created department) for about 8 months, and I'm about to post a job opening that will be my first new hire. The trouble is that I am expecting, but I haven't told my boss yet.
High gas prices, traffic tie-ups, expensive housing - who needs it? Most Americans, if they want a good paying job.
If you're tired of shlepping to work, now may be one of the best times to negotiate flextime with your employer. The high cost of gas and the devastation we've witnessed from natural disasters may have convinced more of us than ever that working from home has many advantages.
People who are satisfied on the job have the best perks in areas you might expect, but they actually put in longer hours than less satisfied employees, according to a new survey.
Robert Oppenheimer agonized over building the A-bomb. Alfred Nobel got queasy about creating dynamite. Robert Propst invented nothing so destructive. Yet before he died in 2000, he lamented his unwitting contribution to what he called "monolithic insanity."
Robert Oppenheimer agonized over building the A-bomb. Alfred Nobel got queasy about creating dynamite. Robert Propst invented nothing so destructive. Yet before he died in 2000, he lamented his unw...
Friends, it's that time again, a fresh new year -- which means that just about every human-resources consulting firm, outplacement specialist, salary expert and career guru in sight has come out with brand-new predictions for the 12 months ahead. This time around, almost everybody's crystal ball is bright and sunny, predicting job growth and increased hiring. That means companies will try harder to retain their stars, which translates to fatter raises and more perks like telecommuting and flextime.
For anyone who wants to work flexible hours from a home office, two resources are worth checking out.
Corporate America is finally waking up to the extensive experience mature employees bring to the table and placing value on the benefits of retaining older workers.
A four-day work week may make you a better employee. According to a recent study, employees accomplish more when their schedules are relaxed.
LAST FALL, WHEN Paul Dickerson started working from home, the neighbors in his Pittsburgh suburb avoided him. "They thought I was unemployed, and they didn't know what to say," he recalls. Now that...
SALEM, Ore. (CNN/Money) - If getting ready for work means rolling out of bed and putting on fuzzy slippers, join the club.
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - In case you had any doubts, let's be clear: The U.S. tax code isn't a myth. Byzantine maybe, but not mythic.
The other day, I guess it was Friday, I tried to get in touch with a couple of key guys and found out that all of a sudden they were working from home.
Dear Annie: I work for a telecom company that has had several rounds of layoffs, and it seems to me that people who take advantage of flexible hours, telecommuting, etc.--in other words, usually mo...
Thomas J. Leonard is the ultimate virtual person. He does not live in a house or in an apartment. He does not work in an office building. Instead, this 45-year-old semiretired trainer of personal c...
Some 15 years back, when people who used PCs were still regarded as renegades, I had a conversation with my editor at a national magazine about how technology will change the way our writers work. ...
DEAR ANNIE: I think that my job is perfect for telecommuting, but my boss has shot down the idea when colleagues of mine have proposed it in the past. He says he doesn't believe that anyone can wor...
Let's face it. The way your job is expanding into nights and weekends, you'll either have to equip a top-flight office in your home or start stashing a toothbrush and pajamas in your desk. And the ...
When Joe Kandra, 36, needs a break from work, he takes his dog Kali and heads for the woods. The fragrant eucalyptus trees of Stern Grove Park, Calif. are more than an hour's drive from Cisco Syste...
Sure, working at home can be good for your health. No horn-honking commute to add stress, no germ-laden recirculated air to keep that flu virus incubating, and no harsh fluorescent lighting to wear...
MOST MORNINGS, SHELLY COMES, 45, FEEDS THE chickens at 6 a.m. before booting up her PC an hour later. As a senior quality-control trainer earning an annual $60,000 or so with Hewlett-Packard, she w...
NEXT TIME YOU RUSH OUT the door at 6:45 a.m., nervous that the car won't start or that you'll miss the 7:06 commuter run, think about Millie Szerman, 49, phoning clients from her tub (on the cover)...
GOT A MINUTE? HOW 'BOUT A FREE HOUR OR half a day? If you're like many Money readers, you don't have much time to spare these days. According to our recent reader poll (see details at left), nearly...
When he isn't on the road, my neighbor Joel walks to work. It takes him about three seconds. "All I have to do is stumble out of bed, open the door, and I'm here," he says.
Roughly half of us could be working mainly from our homes by the year 2000, according to Link Resources, a New York City market research firm. That means it's going to be either you or me at home--...
Here's a toughie: How much office equipment should a company buy for an employee who works at home only a few times a month? "Hey, I do serious stuff at home," says your star salesman. "I need a Po...
It's primal, traditional, part of an American's birthright -- ownership of a home whose value appreciates forever. Yet if there was one support beam * undergirding the American standard of living t...
IN THE UNENDING DRIVE for productivity and profits, companies are taking reengineering to new frontiers. They are knocking down walls, selling off buildings, and otherwise revolutionizing the once ...
Call it the first great business showdown of the 21st century: The giants of American communications are locked in a struggle to build and control a vast web of electronic networks. These so-called...
Society is sailing into an era of ''discontinuous change,'' declares British consultant Charles Handy in The Age of Unreason (Harvard Business School Press, $18.95). Corporations and business folk ...
Andrea Edmonson used to waste hours every day driving back and forth from the townhouse she shares with her husband Steve Cox to the sales office of their residential real estate development compan...
To hold on to women managers, many companies now offer special benefits aimed at easing the stress full-time jobs can put on families and the damage temporary interruptions can do to careers. A sam...
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