Karlene Meister

The number of Americans working from home has increased over the past decade, according to the Census Bureau. Most of the increase comes from government workers, at a 133% rise, while from the private sector, at 67%.

This is the reality of the work world, as more and more people realize the benefits of working from home: it saves on the cost of transportation, clothing, office space, electricity -- and time. When I was offered the option to work from home in my last job, I grabbed it. For me, it was a precursor to working for myself, which is now my reality.

But what of productivity? Some people may get distracted by all the things that need to be done around the home, while others find they are more productive as there are no distractions from co-workers.

For some people, including myself, it is easy to work all the time, after all hours, because they can, while some people may work too little.

As an employer, you may find that offering the option to work from home may increase your applicants pool, as for most people a flexible lifestyle is more attractive than a high salary.

But workers first need to assess if they are cut out for this lifestyle. Will they miss face-to-face interactions? Are they self-motivating? Do they have the space needed? Will they tend to work 24/7 just because they can? Only they can decide.

Let's hear your thoughts. Do you work from home and if so how have you been liking it?