Home work shift

Dallas Morning News ^ | 06.22.05 | STEVE QUINN

[q_an_a]

Heidi Hess has spent $578 to build her desktop computer, $50 a month for high-speed Internet service, about $20 for a headset and $30 for a business phone line with unlimited long-distance.

That investment is half what it would have been several years ago when technology costs were higher, Ms. Hess said from her home office in Plano, where she performs contract call center duties.

- SNIP - The growth of broadband Internet service in the home has helped drive the number of contract telecommuters to 16.5 million in 2004 from 9.2 million in 2001, the Dieringer Research Group Inc. of Milwaukee said.

[q_an_a]

This story shows that 3.3 million people went to work durnig 2001 to 2004 -as contractors - at good hourly wage $10-$15 and that there is a vary good chance that they are not part of our JOBS data reported before the 2004 election. Yes we have had a jobless recovery.

[codercpc]

I work out of my home for a company that contracts out work, some to the Fed Gov. I obtain my daily work load via the computer, and I NEVER even visit the home office which is 600 miles away. I love it, but because I am actually an employee of another company, as opposed to an independent contractor, I am sure I am on the job data rolls.

BTW... I make about double what you posted, with no commute, no "uniform" charges (sometimes my PJ's), and no extra lunch money needed, I make a pretty decent wage.

[Laserman]

I founded a company 15 years ago that does high tech defense consulting. All our employees are home office based and communicate through the internet. The pay is excellent and it is a wonderful way of life.

[dawn53]

I work completely out of my home.

I log into work via a VPN and never go into the office (well, I won't say NEVER, just hardly ever.) I do talk on the phone to the office several times a day.

I manage online search engine bidding, marketing, oversee online orders, all responsibilities accomplished just as easily from my home office and probably more efficiently because no one is here to interrupt.

Plus it's more than a 9-5 job, it's a check on it, off and on throughout the entire day type of job, so I have freedom to come and go from home, because much of my work is accomplished early AM and late PM.

I think working from home makes more sense and some jobs are handled much more efficiently from home.

My info would be counted through the jobs data because I am not a "contract employee", but a regular employee.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Let me send y'all my resume...please?

[Huck]

Me too. Seriously. Dawn, I'm looking for a new line of work. freep mail me. I'd like to chat about your job. I just had back surgery (herniated disc) which has made my 1 hr+ commute tough. I live in a rural part of NJ. I am looking for work close to home or from home.

[Incorrigible]

Bump

[codercpc]

I also have a "40 hour" work week, but can schedule it as I please. As long as I keep my work up, I am free. Lunch dates are nice. Most of the time, I do keep a regular schedule (5:00 am to 1:00 pm works best for me) but if I want a whole day off during the week, or even a few hours somewhere I just work other times to fill it in. I also get sick time, and vacation time, 401K and full benefits (medical is through my husband so I don't have to take it, even though it's available).

The best part for me is being home with my 15 year old son during the summer, and being home every day after school. Going to the stores, bank, etc. during the middle of the day is much less busy than evenings, and weekends also.

[Laserman]

I can be reached at core@coregroupinc.com

[Capriole]

Ultimately I think that more and more of us are going to have to work at home. This could be part of the solution for the traffic nightmare many of our cities face today. Imagine how traffic problems and the issues of overdevelopment and "sprawl" would be improved if, say, 20% of workers weren't on the roads commuting.

I used to have a home business and work at home, too. It was wonderful < sigh>. But 9-11 took care of it and now I have to go to a job. I'm trying to think of a way to resurrect it or find a job that lets me work at home, because I want to live in the country, far from jobs.