Nearly everybody does it on a regular basis. Instead of hopping into the family limo and driving off to the office, more and more Canadians are firing up the old computer and going to work via cyberspace, on the information highway. It's the 21st century spin on the old concept of cottage industry.
Employees remain on their home turf, working for large companies.
But the growth of telecommuting is not necessarily rooted in lifestyle or business practicalities. As a nation, Canada is the most plugged-in country on the planet. A 1999 survey conducted by AC Nielsen revealed that 61 per cent of Canadian homes have a computer, and 30 per cent of those households own more than one. With this proliferation of home computer ownership and daily improvements in security and technology, it s easy to work la distance. Wired as we may be, on a percentile basis, Canada comes sixth in the world, employing 7.1 per cent of the national work force in telework.