Every morning, you can see thousands of them, one to a car, clogging the Beltway as they drive to an office to make phone calls and type at a computer -- work they could do just as easily at a home office.
That's changing. A handful of Maryland employers, from Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. to the Montgomery County government, are experimenting with "telecommuting," allowing employees to work at home, in offices equipped with computers and telephones.
And more employers are likely to follow soon because of reports like a recent AT&T survey that found that telecommuting boosts productivity, makes workers happier and cuts companies' space costs.
For some, though, telecommuting's progress in Maryland is as frustratingly slow as rush-hour traffic. The drive to allow workers to commute to their jobs on electronic highways has been slowed by worker and manager mistrust, they say.
"You'd think it is a no-brainer to see the benefits of telecommuting," said Pam Tucker, founder of the Hunt Valley-based Telecommuting Inc. consulting firm.
But the changes needed to make telecommuting succeed are difficult for both workers and managers, said Ms. Tucker, who founded the firm after her own telecommuting experience failed because of isolation from bosses and colleagues.
"It is hard for corporate America to change management styles," she said. "Managers feel they have to see people they supervise instead of measuring results. . . . And unions have a hard time accepting it" because of fears that isolated home workers will be exploited.
Those concerns haven't slowed the nationwide boom in telecommuting. The number of Americans working at least part time from home offices has increased from 2.5 million in 1988 to 7.6 million this year, according to the New York-based Link Resources Corp.
Marylanders can see the change in Montgomery County, where some government workers are participating in a 3-month-old telecommuting pilot program, and at BG&E, which will launch a 30-worker experiment next week.
In addition, the federal government plans a compromise arrangement -- building "telework" centers in Hagerstown and Charles County. The offices will be equipped with computers and phones linked to Washington so government employees who normally commute to the capital can work close to home.
As personal computers become cheaper and better, and companies look to cut costs and boost productivity, telecommuting will grow even faster, Link says.
