1. How can a firm know when it's a good idea to implement telecommuting or not?

2. Can you think of any other pros and cons related to telecommuting that aren't mentioned in this case?

Not everyone thinks telecommuting is ideal for their organizations. In early 2013, Marissa Mayer, who had been named Yahoo's new CEO less than a month earlier, ended telecommuting at the struggling Internetsearch company. Yahoo's decision surprised people because telecommuting is particularly prevalent in high-tech industries, particularly in Silicon Valley, where Yahoo is located. How could the firm hope to compete for employees in the area if it ended telecommuting?

One tech news outlet called it "the worst decision Marissa Mayer has made in her tenure as Yahoo CEO." Silicon Valley isn't the only place where telecommuting has taken off, though. Across the country, the number of employees telecommuting has grown by about 75 percent in the past six years. According to some statistics, more than 3 million people, or roughly 10 percent of the workforce, telecommute full time, and an estimated 16 percent telecommute one day a week. Many firms have embraced telecommuting, claiming that it leads to more productivity and a better work-life balance.

However, a recent survey by the independent research firm ORC International found that roughly 75 percent of people in the American workforce have never commuted. And although most of the people surveyed thought telecommuters were very productive, 29 percent of them said they believe telecommuters spend most of their time "goofing off." Reportedly, Mayer learned that many of Yahoo's telecommuters weren't logged onto Yahoo's intranet when they were supposed to be and that the company's offices were nearly empty on Fridays.