Work from home: Why you may – or may not – want your job’s workplace to be outside the office

With traffic on the rise in major cities and climate change top-of-mind, you might want to work more from home.

“Telecommuting” (or “teleworking”) has been around since the 1980s, but it has taken off in recent years – thanks to technological tools like home PCs and reliable internet connectivity, which can keep employees connected via robust video and data networks.

In fact, roughly 40% of the U.S. workforce already works remotely in some fashion, according to research and consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics. Telecommuting runs the range from working one or two days at home per week to a full-time 40-hour telecommuting arrangement.