The concept of working from home is intriguing. Bunny slippers, pajamas and starting work at noon are all images that may come to mind when you think about telecommuting or working from home.

While this is not very likely the case for most individuals, it is worthwhile to explore the idea of telecommuting.

Many organizations are more flexible than ever when it comes to the working week. It is a good idea to know about the good and bad before the bunny slippers go to your head.

Question: What are some of the advantages to an employer who allows for a flexible work week?

Answer: A flexible work week is one that differs from the standard nine-to-five day, 40-hour week.

Telecommuting, flextime, compressed work week, job sharing and part time are some of the many options offered by (some, but not all) employers.

Because of its increasing popularity due to technological advances, telecommuting – working from home – seems to be a great topic to touch on.

A few of the advantages to telecommuting include: bunny slippers, (i.e. you are free to dress as you please,) no bumper-to-bumper commute, less structured work environment and more time to spend with the family.

It sounds great, but there are some things you should keep in mind before you sign your name on the dotted line of an employment contract.

There is a lot of motivation and self-discipline needed to work from home. By no means am I implying anything about you, I am just saying, you have to be realistic. Let’s pretend your favorite show is on at 9 a.m., then you notice how dirty your bedroom is, now it is lunch time. By the time you have actually started your working day it is after noon.

Are you someone who could resist the temptations? In many offices there also exists some support from co-workers.

When working from home, the line between work and home gets blurred so it can become difficult to separate the two. It is possible to overwork when telecommuting because the opportunity to work is always available.

Not that overworking is a bad thing, but the combined work/home situation can cause stress and tension.

The bottom-line is: There are good things and bad things about every work schedule. Be sure to consider your working preferences and capabilities before you start your job search. Kelley Weldin is a graduate student and works for Career Services as a career development graduate assistant. E-mail careerservices@wsu.edu with your career questions.