We encourage our team to work remotely when they want. We care about performance, not face-time in the office.

Did you know that the average commute is 45 minutes each way and that telecommuters report having 25% less stress?

We leverage technology to work remotely: Basecamp and Campfire from our friends at 37signals, Skype and Google+ hangouts for video calls, iChat for private communications, etc.

In fact, I’m working remotely this entire week (my kids are on Spring break and this is a good way for me to spend some time with them during the day). Plus, my last tank of gas was $100 and I’m still getting over the shock.

A few years ago, our engineering team asked if they could work remotely every Friday. It was a great idea – people could focus on their work without the many distractions found in the office, save time on their commute, and start their weekend earlier.

I thought it was such a great idea that I also telecommute every Friday.

Telecommuting has many benefits. Here’s a nice infographic from splashtop highlighting some of those benefits: