It’s Wednesday morning and I’m sitting on my couch in the clothes I slept in, my feet are up and a warm cup of home-brewed coffee is in my left hand.

That’s right, I’m hard at work.

This scene may elicit a few smirks and maybe even some eye-rolling, but the truth is what it is: I am really working.

With my free hand I am researching telecommuting on the Internet (I’m pretty sure this is a prime example of irony).

A quick search lets me know that I am not alone this morning in my easy commute from the bed to a personal computer. The International Telework Association projects that by next year 51 million people will be “teleworking” on a daily basis.

Sure, I may have it easier than some (a few of these tele-warriors may have had to deal with a nasty flight of stairs), but all-and-all, we really can’t complain. In an age where the buzz phrase “work-life balance” is dropped frequently by recruiters and HR representatives, telecommuting seems to be a reasonable solution.

I don’t know if this arrangement would be necessary in a smaller market or rural areas. I honestly wouldn’t mind a 30-40 minute drive if I could keep a constant speed and not worry about seeing brake lights every 100 yards.

However, in big markets like Chicago, the daily commute has almost become a battleground. I’m a three-year veteran of the reverse commute. I total about 60 miles a day on the round trip from the north side of Chicago to suburban Naperville where our offices are located.

People always look at me like I am crazy when I tell them the distance I commute. I always respond “I really wish that it was crazy, then maybe the gazillion other people I see heading out bound every morning on the Ike wouldn’t be doing it. That would make my commute much better.”

I’m definitely not special or looking for sympathy. A one-way hour commute is just commonplace now for a large percentage of area employees. What I am looking for is a little bit of relief.

Personally, I know that I would not like to work from my home everyday of the week. I would become much too claustrophobic and probably go stir-crazy. I like getting out of the house most of the time, but I don’t like being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic all of the time.

That’s where telecommuting comes in.

Once a week it is really refreshing to get that extra few hours sleep, not worry about the traffic and enjoy the quiet atmosphere of working at home. I find that a welcome break from the commute recharges me and makes it much easier to navigate the following day.

According to the Washington-based Employment Policy Foundations, 65 percent of current jobs are amenable to telecommuting. However, it’s safe to say that 65 percent of workers don’t telecommute.

I think that is because the image of the telecommuter is somewhat negative and often seen as lazy. Sure, I’ve got a five o’clock shadow, haven’t even taken the time to put on socks today and I’ve probably walked fewer than 100 yards all morning. But does that mean I’m not working?

If you think about it, the majority of our work is done in a five-by-five cubicle on our computers. We don’t need much more than an Internet connection, a telephone, oxygen and a pulse. Guess what? I’ve got all four of those things at home.

Could I turn on the TV and watch ESPN all morning? You bet I could. It would be easy enough to do, but I would have to ask myself one simple question: How would this help my future prospects of working from home?

(Editor’s note: It wouldn’t.)

Any smart telecommuter knows that the best way to ensure this enormous benefit is to show results. If production does not drop, it is difficult to question the arrangement. In fact, most experts seem to believe that telecommuters work a bit harder at home, because they don’t want to lose this perk.

Employers can benefit from this as well. Not only would they be getting a productive employee, but perhaps a more loyal employee. If someone had the choice of staying at a job that allowed telecommuting or leaving for another that did not, he may be inclined to stick with his current employer.

Now I am not suggesting that everyone should start telecommuting everyday. The communal workplace has its own virtues.

However, once in a while, it should be okay to work in your pajamas. But I suspect your co-workers would appreciate it if you did so from home.

Contact news editor Mark Thomton at mthomton@thebusinessledger.com or at 630-428-8788.