8 work-at-home jobs for retirees - MarketWatch

After "retiring" from a 40-year career in advertising, Art spent several years as a consultant working with employers involving the aging work force and with seniors addressing the challenges facing them as they prepared for retirement. In early 2003, he founded RetiredBrains.com, a site that has developed into a major destination for boomers, retirees and people planning retirement. RetiredBrains provides information on a wide variety of subjects and includes a free job board connecting employers looking to hire older workers. Art’s book "Invent Your Retirement Resources for the Good Life," published by
Oakhill Press, is a complete reference guide for those planning retirement and for retirees themselves. Art can be reached via LinkedIn, Twitter: @artkoff and Facebook..

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Older Americans looking for a little extra cash might want to investigate work-at-home opportunities.

Working at home can help make ends meet by adding to Social Security and retirement income or finance the extras that are so important. Some have found working at home to be a good way to create extra income or successfully take the place of a full-time job.

Unfortunately, in the areas of working from home or starting a home-based business, there are many companies that make offers that sound enticing but are not legitimate. According to a 2010 survey by the Investor Protection Trust, one out of every five citizens over the age of 65 has been the victim of a financial scam.

You must carefully investigate any business offer — particularly those that require a substantial investment on your part. Check with your local Better Business Bureau and if possible others that have invested in this businesses prior to investing yourself. Google the company and see what others are saying. Do your research.

There are several ways to earn money working out of your home. For a list of innovative and successful suggestions from readers at RetireBrains, click here.

The following are work from home ideas for earning revenue:

Direct selling

There are literally hundreds of firms for you to choose from should you be interested in representing them. In most cases companies that involve direct selling require you to purchase some product for you to sell but the "starter kit" of training materials is generally not very expensive. Legitimate direct selling companies allow you to "sell back" unsold products that are in good condition if you decide this isn't for you.

The product or service you choose to sell should be something that you yourself would use even if you weren't selling it (something you fully understand and can be enthusiastic about) and you should be making money from your sales to customers — recruiting other sellers should not be the primary basis of your income.

If you feel direct selling is worth exploring, check out the Direct Selling Association where you can see companies marketing products from air filters to wine and services including financial, insurance and Internet.

Selling online

There are many who make a good living selling online. You could start by selecting things that you have around the house and list them on eBay, Craigslist or Amazon.com. Once you decide if this is something you wish to spend more time doing you can purchase things to sell. If you purchase the right products at the right price you should be able to make a good profit.

Don't worry about getting started as each site provides concise instructions on how best to use their particular site to sell or purchase.

Become a tutor

If you graduated from a college or university in the U.S.A. or Canada, or you're a current student at an accredited school, and you have expertise in English, math, science or social studies, you could make money as an online tutor.

You must be able to convey key information to students of all ages - generally fourth grade through college level - in an online environment. That means teaching mathematical formulas and chemical equations through an Internet connection rather than face-to-face instruction.

Visit tutor.com to learn how you can make $10 an hour or more working 5 hours to 30 hours a week out of your home.

To find other online tutoring opportunities, or to learn how to start your own online tutoring business, do a Google search using the keywords "online tutor" where you can research dozens of options based on your availability and subject-area expertise.

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Why Telecommuting Positions are Good for People and Business - LifeGoesStrong

Source: Getty Images

Ask a telecommuter about their stay-at-home job and they'll tell you why telecommuting positions are good for them and their employer. From better health and a happier home life to higher productivity, there are advantages all around.

It's Telecommuter Appreciation Week, and I'd like to show my appreciation for all of the virtual work-from-your-home people I know.

There are a lot of us out there, and the numbers grow every day as telecommuting positions become more commonplace as more companies see the many benefits to telecommuting work and  jobs that are flexible.

I know people who run companies with dozens of employees, all of whom work from a home office. It is very common for new startups to skip the expensive overhead of office space and go virtual, and for companies who want to attract superstar workers to allow them to work remotely part-time or full-time.

I haven't commuted to an office for twelve years, and the pros far outweight the cons for me. It would take a lot for me to give up the advantages of the telecommuter lifestyle.

Working from home has a lot of benefits to employees:

No commute time. I used to commute 45 minutes each way on the bus or by car into a downtown office. That's 90 minutes a day, which adds up to thirty hours a month in commute time. Working in my home office, my commute is a few minutes at most, if I stop to make a cup of coffee.Less pollution and traffic. One way to reduce air pollution is by less driving, and you can't suffer through a traffic jam if you never drive to work.Less expensive. Bus or train fares, or gas, tolls and parking, can add up to thousands of dollars a year.Less germs. People ask my secret for avoiding all of these colds and flus that spread like wildfire. I tell them it's swimming every day (which is a much better use of time than commuting) and not being exposed to coworkers who insist on coming in sick.More family and personal time. Many people with long commutes miss important evening time with their kids, or being able to participate in outside hobbies. Getting that commuting time back can change the quality of your non-work time, and work-at-home jobs often can be more flexible with scheduling, too.Less stress. I don't know about you, but I hate traffic and my past big-city commutes were a battle every day in each direction. Walking barefoot into my home office beats that hands down.Less spent on work wardrobe. Many telecommuters also travel to meet business contacts in person, too, but when working at home, the quality dry-clean-only clothes are replaced with cotton sweats.Pets don't have to stay at home alone. A few months ago, I wouldn't even have thought of this, but since I adopted my first dog last month, I'm constantly aware of the positive affect of my dog next to me as I work. More about this one at Pets Welcome! When Companies Allow Pets at Work, Everybody Wins.

And on the flip side, there's a lot in it for companies, too.

Global Workplace Analytics and the Telework Research Network reviewed more than 500 studies about telecommuting found that companies get:

Happier employees. Two out of three of people want prefer to work from home, and more than a third would give up a raise – or even take a salary cut – for the chance to telecommute. Eighty percent of workers consider telecommuting a perk.Better attendance. People who work from home call in sick less, because they're 1) less likely to take a whole day when all they really needed was a couple of hours for an appointment and 2) they're more likely to keep working when they are sick since they're not speading their germs.More production. Yes, work-at-home jobs are actually more productive. In fact, American Express workers who telecommute are reported to produce 43% more than their counterparts who worked in the company office.Less money spent on office space and facilities. Companies can have smaller offices with a virtual workforce, which saves in many ways. Sun Microsystems reported their Open Work program saves $68 million a year in real estate costs.Meetings are more efficient online or on the phone than in person. The whole water cooler phenomenon has its place, but it is a time waster. Virtual meetings held online or through conference calls are generally much more punctual and efficient than in-person meetings.

As a recruiter, I'll add one I didn't see in the list: When commute distance isn't an issue, there is a much bigger candidate pool, and companies can look for talent that doesn't need to be in a short driving distance. Virtual workers can be anywhere.

Obviously, not every job makes for telecommuting work, and there are some cons to it as well (such as keeping computers secure and motivating virtual workers) but many adapt quite well to stay-at-home jobs.

If you're interested in being a telecommuter, share this article, and the link to the report, to begin a conversation with your company about how that might work for you.

More about telecommuting and new ways to work:

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Barring working from home was real yahoo move - Arizona Daily Star

Marissa Mayer, bounding back to work after a two-week maternity leave, came up with a nifty solution for juggling work and family: The Yahoo chief brought her family to work.

Literally. The 37-year-old CEO, named to the job when she was six months pregnant, used her own money to build a nursery next to her office. Good for her. Baby-in-adjoining-cubicle is not a scalable solution, but Mayer is, for the moment anyway, unique - the first woman to give birth while heading a Fortune 500 company.

But Mayer's self-bestowed flexibility made the news that Yahoo is cracking down on work-from-home arrangements especially disappointing.

"To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side," Yahoo human resources chief Jackie Reses wrote in a memo obtained by Kara Swisher of the allthingsd.com website.

"Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home," the memo said. "We need to be one Yahoo, and that starts with physically being together."

Yahoo graciously granted dispensation, sort of, for wait-for-the-cable guy emergencies, although employees were lectured to "use your best judgment in the spirit of collaboration."

How ironic that a technology company, dedicated to enabling connectivity, would enforce such a retrograde, back-to-the-assembly-line edict. It reflects a bricks-and-mortar mindset in an increasingly cyber world. How depressing that this edict comes from a female CEO.

Working from home isn't just a girl thing - nearly as many men as women work from home, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Indeed, it isn't just a parent thing. But it is an important tool in the arsenal of parental juggling and parental sanity.

This is not to argue that every employee should be able to work at home, every day. Of course not. Some jobs obviously lend themselves to telecommuting better than others.

Working from home does not mean doing without child care. Nor is it a license for slacking off, as some commentary has suggested was happening at Yahoo.

But the solution is not a blanket ban - it's better management, and better metrics for judging productivity.

Likewise, Yahoo is certainly correct in its intuition that "some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings."

They also come in the shower, while you're walking the dog. And they come from employees who aren't exhausted from battling lengthy Silicon Valley commutes. They come from employees who feel grateful for being trusted with the responsibility of self-direction.

I have a stake in this argument because I am lucky to have a job that lets me work from home most of the time. As I write this column, my teenage daughter is sleeping upstairs - strep, again! If I had to be at the office, I could leave her, but how much better to be able to bring her soup and tea.

Working from home, I have interviewed senators while making the bed, listened to campaign conference calls while emptying the dishwasher (thank goodness for the mute button), talked to White House officials while driving carpool (thank goodness for Bluetooth).

Even when I had a position that required more face-time in the office, the technology-fueled ability to work at times from home made all the difference; I was more productive than I would have been chained to my desk. The flexibility of working at home has allowed me to cling, however tenuously, to the level of adequate mommy.

Yahoos are safe until June, when the new policy is to take effect. My prediction? It won't, in its current, draconian form. Mayer is smart enough to realize this was a real yahoo move.

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Despite Excellent Business And Management, Home Depot Appears Fairly Valued - Seeking Alpha

During the worst housing market since World War II, Home Depot (HD) found religion of sorts, and under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Frank Blake, the company embarked on a multi-faceted plan that has significantly improved the company's operations. Home Depot had ridden decades of double digit sales and earnings growth to expand its store footprint, and leverage into additional businesses that deviated from the company's iconic orange box stores. General Electric (GE) alum and former CEO Robert Nardelli was replaced in January of 2007, and Blake took aggressive actions to divest non-core assets and to streamline the supply chain. The company focused on allocating excess capital to shareholders in productive ways, instead of engaging in an empire-building campaign, which wouldn't leverage Home Depot's durable competitive advantages in North America. These steps have led to substantial increases in free cash flow, while improved margins set the stage for attractive earnings growth, as the housing market continues to improve. Despite these many positive trends and a strong belief in the company's leadership, I believe Home Depot is fairly valued at current prices, and I would need to see a significant sell-off before obtaining the required margin of safety to invest.

The internet has clearly had a transformative impact on most retail operations. Companies such as Blockbuster, Staples (SPLS) and Best Buy (BBY) have seen their businesses severely impacted by the ease of internet transactions. Some of the major disadvantages of internet retail are potentially higher shipping costs on heavier items, and the inability to obtain same-day delivery in most markets. Few retailers, if any, are more insulated from the destructive competitive dynamics of the internet than Home Depot. Much of the supplies that the company sells are quite heavy, and many times trips to the store are to the building supplies store to acquire much-needed materials to finish a project where time is of the utmost importance. Currently, the company is advancing its buy online, ship to store concept, which has the opportunity to enhance its customer experience.

Home Depot and Lowe's (LOW) hold a duopoly in the home improvement market in the United States. Other stores have tried to compete effectively, but if a construction team is trying to finish a project and is in need of supplies, they would be silly not to go to the location where their needs can be completely fulfilled. The housing and home repair markets are certainly cyclical, but are not in danger of becoming obsolete any time in the near future. It would be nearly impossible for a new entrant to take serious market share away from the existing incumbents. Therefore we view this segment of retail as being one of the safest places to earn returns in excess of the cost of capital.

When the housing market crashed, Home Depot already had a mature store base with very little opportunity for store growth. Frank Blake correctly identified this and instead focused on improving technology tools to improve supply chain visibility, which was an area where Home Depot had previously lagged behind Lowe's. Blake drove costs lower, but due to the horrendous macro conditions it was difficult to see the full impact of these investments in the company's financial statements. The company divested its professional supply business and ancillary retail operations in 2007 and 2009, respectively. In 2012, the company determined that it would halt its big box operations in China, opting for more localized concepts. Management is focusing much of its current investment efforts into driving further improvements in its cost structure and supply chain, where it can get more assured investment returns on invested capital.

The fact that Home Depot remained quite profitable despite the worst housing crisis since World War 2 speaks volumes about the quality of the company's business. Return on equity hit trough levels in 2009 at 12.75%, and returns on invested capital that year were 6.16%. Because of Blake's reduced spending on expansion, the company actually increased its free cash flow in 2009 and 2010, despite steep revenue declines mainly caused by divestments and a rough consumer environment. Importantly, Blake returned much of this free cash flow to shareholders via dividends and stock buybacks. The company has reduced the share count from about 2.062 billion diluted shares outstanding at the end of 2006 to 1.491 billion, as of February 3rd 2013. Just about all of this 28% reduction in diluted shares outstanding took place at prices far below Home Depot's recent price of roughly $67.50, and below my estimates of intrinsic value. Even with the huge buyback program, Home Depot has increased its dividend payout consistently over the last 5 years, and the goal of the company is to pay about 50% of earnings as dividends. With the remaining retained earnings, the company invests in the business and buys back its own stock.

I can't overstate how important it is that management downgraded its international aspirations where it had very little durable competitive advantages, if any, in favor of a strategy that focuses on maximizing investor returns through improved profitability and intelligent capital allocation. Many market participants are hugely critical of Edward Lampert at Sears Holding (SHLD), but solid capital allocation is by far and away one of the most important determinants of shareholder returns in retail stocks. Sears has a tough competitive dynamic but if the company would have expanded like other retailers such as Best Buy did, bankruptcy would have been a much more likely scenario. Some of the best performing retail stocks have been companies such as Autozone (AZO) and Autonation (AN), which were also large Lampert investments. Both management teams have done an excellent job at allocating cash to the highest returning opportunity, whether that be expansion, leveraging technology, or buying back their own common stock. Frank Blake seems to be cut from a similar cloth, and with a very strong hand to play at Home Depot, the future looks quite exciting.

On February 26th, Home Depot reported excellent 4th quarter earnings, highlighting improvements in the housing market, an increase in demand caused by Hurricane Sandy, and an extra week of sales. Sales in the quarter were up 13.9% YoY to $18.2 billion, and comparable store sales were up 7%, with U.S. stores leading the way up 7.1%. Home Depot earned $1.0 billion or $.68 per diluted share in the quarter, which was up from $774MM and $.50 per diluted share YoY, respectively. The company estimates that the extra week added approximately $1.2 billion in sales and .07 per share in earnings per diluted share, in the quarter and year, respectively.

For fiscal year 2012, Home Depot grew sales by 6.2% from 2011 to $74.8 billion. Total company comparable store sales for the year increased 4.6%, and comp sales for U.S. stores were up by 4.9% in 2012. Home Depot earned $3.00 per diluted share, which was up 21.5% from $2.47 in 2011. The numbers would have been about $.10 per diluted share better, had it not been for a $145MM, net of tax, charge associated with the closing of some stores in China. Home Depot achieved an operating margin of 10.4% and a 17% return on invested capital for 2012. These met or exceeded the company's 2009 goals, proving that management is doing what they said they would do, which is often not the case, unfortunately.

On the strength of an excellent 2012 and an improving climate heading into 2013, Home Depot raised its quarterly dividend by 34% to $.39 cents per share. Management expressed its interest in paying out about 50% of earnings as a dividend, which I view as a huge positive in terms of capital allocation. In addition, the company's board of directors authorized a $17.0 billion share buyback, which replaced its previous program. Since 2002, the company has bought back approximately 1 billion shares for $37.5 billion. Management is laser-focused on increasing shareholder value through the maximization of sound capital allocation, and excellent operating performance. The company's goal is to attain a return on invested capital of 24% by the end of fiscal 2015.

For 2013, Home Depot expects sales growth of 2%, headlined by comparable store sales growth of roughly 3%. The company only intends to open about 9 new stores and hopes to be able to drive both gross and operating margin improvements, culminating in roughly 65 basis points of operating margin expansion. The company intends to buy back about $4.5 billion worth of stock, and including buybacks expects diluted earnings-per-share-growth of 12% to $3.37. Home Depot expects to generate roughly $7.2 billion in cash flow from operations and has capital spending plans of $1.5 billion, which would peg free cash flow at about $5.7 billion. Home Depot averaged investing well over $3.5 billion per year on property between 2003-2008, so the improved free cash flow dynamics are really a combination of reduced spending and improved profitability. New home inventory levels are exceptionally low and many home-owners have deferred remodeling plans due to the weak economic landscape. These dynamics will likely lead to a solid runway of earnings growth. If the company hits its return on invested capital target, the company could potentially earn between $6-7 billion by 2015. The large stock buyback should increase per share value even further, as long as the company is diligent about only buying back stock when it trades below the intrinsic value.

With all of this positivity it might seem strange to be neutral on the stock, but it really comes down to demanding an adequate margin of safety. At $67.50, Home Depot trades for about 20 times 2013 earnings. Book value severely understates Home Depot's real estate value, which is marked at cost on the balance sheet. With a current market capitalization around $95 billion, Home Depot trades at about 13.5 times my peak earnings estimate of $7 billion. My estimates could be overly conservative if the housing rebound is stronger than I expect, but I'd want to buy the company at $.50-60 cents on the dollar to really be interested, and at current levels I just can't justify such a valuation. If I were long Home Depot, I would look to take some profits off of the table after reaping the benefits of this excellent management team. I'd only look to re-establish a position if the stock traded down to the low $50's.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Additional disclosure: I am long Sears Holdings bonds.

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Chinese Luxury Spending Plummets At Home As It Skyrockets Abroad - Business Insider

As always, we take their numbers with a grain of salt, but a new report by the Beijing-based World Luxury Association holds that Chinese consumers spent a relatively spare US$830 million on luxury items domestically from January 20 – February 20, a 53 percent drop from last year’s spending spree, but a whopping $8.5 billion overseas, an 18 percent increase year-on-year.

Price considerations remain the key driver of overseas luxury spending, with 93 percent of mainland Chinese consumers surveyed by the WLA saying they were motivated primarily by lower prices abroad.

Nothing really new here, aside from signs that the current, chillier luxury environment in China — along with lower prices — is simply sending more big spenders abroad, where they can make more private big-ticket purchases.

Regardless of higher prices, there are some indications that we can expect more domestic shopping in 2013, particularly among urban female shoppers. As China Daily recently pointed out:

According to a report conducted by France-based market research company Ipsos, nearly half of Chinese urban women intend to buy luxury goods and more than 60 percent plan to buy bags, dresses, shoes, accessories and jewelry.

The survey, conducted during last August to October, covered 30 first to fifth-tier cities and surveyed 4,043 20- to 45-year-old women on their buying habits, relationships with brands, lifestyle, values and attitudes. The average monthly household income of these women was 15,925 yuan.

It showed that 43 percent of the respondents intend to buy some luxury products in 2013. Bags, dresses, shoes and accessories are the most popular, with 68 percent planning to buy them. A total of 66 percent want jewelry.

These indications fit with Jing Daily’s expectations for 2013: that luxury demand and consumption will show a rise over 2012's tepid growth, but consumption trends will be different from the boom years of 2010-2011, and though many leading brands will slow their physical expansion efforts, pent-up inland demand will show in e-commerce sales and Hong Kong retail stats.

As Zhao Ping, deputy director of the Institute of Consumer Economic Research at the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing recently told china.com.cn, despite the recent slowdown in the domestic Chinese luxury market, Zhao expects a rebound over the next several years as more consumers — particularly in lower-tier cities — join the middle class and look to show off their new-found status.

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OC workers, bosses debate Yahoo's telecommute ban - OCRegister

Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer has set off a fierce debate with her decision to stop allowing employees to work from home. Now, lines are being drawn.

On social media and around water coolers across Orange County and elsewhere, workers and bosses this week are weighing in on the decision and the value of working at home. Critics say telecommuting stifles creativity, damages company culture and often lacks accountability. Proponents say workplace flexibility increases productivity, benefits the bottom line and improves worker satisfaction.

Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer.

Kim Shepherd, chief executive of Irvine-based recruiting firm Decision Toolbox, said her entire 120-person staff works remotely – and she wouldn't have it any other way. Employees appreciate the policy and it saves on facilities costs for the company, she said.

As for Yahoo's decision, Shepherd is baffled.

"I don't get it. Talk about turning back the clock and taking away your competitive advantage in attracting top talent," she said. "If you hire the right employees to begin with, people will micromanage themselves more than any manager ever could."

In a widely leaked memo attributed to Yahoo human resources head Jacqueline Reses, the Sunnyvale Internet giant announced last week that the company will end all work-from-home agreements with employees beginning in June.

"Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home," Reses said in the memo. "We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together."

Many industries, such as manufacturing or food service, require workers to be present out of necessity to create a product or to provide customer service. But the Silicon Valley tech world is one of many industries that lends itself to mobility, and many companies have become increasingly flexible and use benchmarks other than attendance to gauge productivity.

Yahoo's edict generated debate on Twitter and blogs, from low-level workers to business titans such as Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, who called it "a backwards step in an age when remote working is easier and more effective than ever."

A Stanford University study released this month showed that allowing employees to work from home increases productivity and decreases attrition. Other studies have shown that telecommuting leads to lower costs for companies and longer hours for employees.

Working from home also helps workers save on gas – a particular concern for those stuck in long Southern California commutes and facing gas prices that have jumped 59 cents a gallon in the past month alone.

Many local companies embrace remote working, including information technology company Ingram Micro in Santa Ana, Fountain Valley app-maker MEDL Mobile and Santa Monica-based car-buying website Edmunds.com.

Ingram, which has 15,500 global employees, adopted a policy in 2008 allowing workers to telecommute, a move executives said helped attract top-quality employees.

Similarly, Edmunds last year adopted a "results-only work environment." Carroll Lachnit, a features editor with Edmunds, said she appreciates the flexibility and often works out of her Long Beach home. She said that she wasn't sure what Yahoo hoped to achieve with its move, but that it will likely hurt recruiting.

"If the norm in the tech world is about flexibility, and Yahoo is the most inflexible, then they'll have a hard time hiring," she said.

Other business owners support Yahoo's decision.

Joel Tanner, co-founder of Irvine's GigaSavvy, a web-design and marketing firm that has done work for Knott's Berry Farm and other companies, said having employees in the office stimulates "creativity, teamwork, company culture and innovation."

"We're a team, and I think people being remote isn't good for a team," he said. "Can you imagine having a rowing team and practicing remotely and then coming together for the race? It defeats the whole idea of teamwork."

Tanner insists that his company's 18 employees work in the office except in specific, rare circumstances.

He said that he used to be a proponent of telecommuting, and that he actually did it in the mid-1990s. But he soured on the notion after realizing that his personal life was suffering.

"Unless you're extremely regimented, which most people aren't, you tend to lose sight of where the line is between work and home," he said. "As an employer, I want our team to have a good balance of work and life. It's super important because they'll be more productive."

Like Tanner, Dave Swartz's opinion has changed over the years. Swartz, co-founder of MEDL Mobile, said he embraced telecommuting as an employee, but as a business owner he prefers to have employees in the office.

"For real dialogue, you need to have people together," he said, adding that about 35 of the company's 42 employees work in the office. "The real excitement in business is when people collaborate and push things forward in new ways."

But some employees say they need flexibility in their work arrangements to juggle job demands with family responsibilities.

Mayer, who took over Yahoo last year when she was five months pregnant and returned to work two weeks after giving birth, built a nursery near her office with her own money. But not every new mother has such flexibility.

Jennifer Owens, editorial director for Working Mother magazine, said both mothers and fathers need to work remotely at times. She believes Yahoo may need to rethink its policy.

"It's really a step backward for their company," she said. "I think it's very disappointing. Taking away all work-from-home options as a blanket policy sends a message of distrust."

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Memo Read Round the World: Yahoo Says No to Working at Home - TIME

Peter Kramer / NBC / Getty Images Marissa Mayer appears on NBC

In a memo read round the world, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has made it clear that working at home will not be an option on her watch. For a contemporary technology-driven company this is a striking position, one that appears to set back the modern workplace and working parents by about two decades.

Eliminating the ability to telecommute eats away at the core of what Yahoo, an Internet pioneer, and Mayer, a new mother, would seem to be all about. Predictably, reaction was swift. Mommy blogs expressed outrage at this anti-family policy. Technology blogs called it misguided. Workplace blogs said the ban might even be unlawful, though that’s hard to fathom.

No one should be surprised if Mayer reverses herself—like Netflix when it angered millions of faithful customers 17 months ago with a steep price hike masked in a plan to break apart its DVD rental and streaming services. Or, dare I say it, like New Coke. Such blunders surface from time to time in the corporate world and all one can do is marvel.

(MORE: Why Marissa Mayer Is Feeling Lucky)

Mayer’s edict went out to employees last week in an internal note announcing that starting June 1 all employees will be expected to report to work each day at a Yahoo office. At Mayer’s instruction, Yahoo HR head Jackie Reses wrote the memo, first reported at Allthingsd.com. The memo read, in part:

“To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.”

Mayer took the helm at Yahoo in July. She’s been overhauling the troubled company and famously decided to take only two weeks of maternity leave when her son was born in October. So she is leading by example. Things need to change. But in eliminating flexible schedules she is swimming against a strong current. As business blogger Joe McKendrick writes:

“Many companies now work with highly distributed workforces. The reasons tend to be more practical than simply being a feel-good workplace policy: it’s often the best way to recruit the best talent, it saves on relocation costs, and it saves on real-estate costs. Even the U.S. government has an active telecommuting policy.”

A University of Texas at Austin study found that people who work from home “add five to seven hours to their workweek compared with those who work exclusively at the office.” A Bureau of Labor Statistics study found that working remotely “seems to boost productivity, decrease absenteeism and increase retention.”

(MORE: Marissa Mayer’s Wall Street Debut Sends Yahoo! Stock Surging)

A Cisco study found that the company achieved “new levels of efficiency and effectiveness” after allowing people to work remotely. The study found that 60% of the time saved by telecommuting is spent working.

Sure, there are slackers and many suspect that what Mayer really wants is to drive away dead wood that’s been phoning it in for years. If some valued employees are driven away in the process, so what? The Yahoo workforce is too big anyway. But is this the right way to go about it? Isn’t it management’s responsibility to keep track of telecommuters’ productivity and deal with underperformers one by one? Already there is talk of Silicon Valley competitors using flexible schedules as bait to recruit Yahoo’s best and brightest.

Technology has revolutionized the workplace, allowing people to do their jobs while still caring for a child home from school with the flu or on weekends and vacations when urgent matters surface. Yahoo has a respected place in history as one of the enablers. Turning back the clock can’t be the answer.

Dan Kadlec is a journalist who has written about personal finance for TIME and other outlets for 25 years. He is the author of three books, a leading voice in the global financial literacy movement, and strategic adviser to the National Financial Educators Council.

Kadlec's latest is A New Purpose: Redefining Money, Family, Work,Retirement, and Success

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Yahoo bans working from home - CBC.ca

One of the world's largest technology companies has taken the extraordinary step of banning telecommuting, and compelling its employees who work offsite to move back into offices so they can interact more with their coworkers.

According to an internal Yahoo memo to staff obtained and first published by the Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD technology blog, the search giant plans to phase out its telecommuting programs by June, and move all employees who work from home or another offsite locale into a Yahoo office by then.

"To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices," human resources executive Jackie Reses wrote in the memo, which was also signed by the company's CEO Marissa Mayer.

"Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home. We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together," the memo reads.

It's a bold, but curious, move for a company with the sway of Yahoo, because technology companies often compete for highly sought-after talent with perks and benefits, in cases where salaries are comparable.

Work at home professional and author Leslie Truex says the move is an odd one, but she adds that companies with the size and scope of Yahoo are often the last to catch on and embrace the broader trend of telecommuting and flexible work conditions.

"Whenever companies offer work from home options it's often because it saves them money, they're not being altruistic," Truex says. "I don't know what Yahoo is seeing in their employees to do this but as long as you're doing your work, it's usually a good thing."

Truex says Yahoo's move is reminiscent of the one that telecom firm AT&T did about five years ago. The phone company was an early pioneer of telecommuting, before ordering all of its employees back into offices in 2007.

AT&T never offered a full explanation of the move at the time, and nor is Yahoo doing so now — Yahoo is declining comment on the report, saying it never comments on internal issues.

"This sounds like Yahoo is saying their work-at-home workers aren't being productive enough," Truex says. "That's not usually the case."

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Six Energy-Saving Strategies That Most Homeowners Overlook - Business Insider

You've heard the usual energy-saving advice: Buy only Energy Star-rated appliances, replace incandescent light bulbs with those curly fluorescents, shop for cheaper electric providers (if you can in your town).

But numerous low-cost, energy-saving strategies escape homeowners' attention.

Energy experts say about 35 percent of heating and cooling is lost through the roof, and more escapes through the walls, windows, doors and by air leaks.

"Making your home energy-efficient means starting with the basics, and the most important of these are the proper sealing of air leaks and insulating sufficiently for your climate," says Ronnie Kweller, who was spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C., at the time of the interview.

"Those steps can cut heating and cooling bills by up to 20 percent."

Here are some of the best bang-for-the-buck ways to save on home energy bills.

1. Insulation redux?

Unless it's thoroughly water-damaged, fiberglass insulation rarely needs replacing, though that doesn't stop unsavory contractors from recommending changing it out. Go ahead and fluff out those areas that have been compressed from excessive attic tromping because fiberglass insulation needs trapped air to be effective.

You can benefit by adding extra insulation. If yours is less than 9 inches thick (R 30), adding another layer could deliver significant extra savings. However, any thickness beyond 16 inches (R 50), except for those living far north in America, is typically unnecessary.

With a little how-to research, installation is relatively easy, but be sure to wear a mask and gloves, and don't cover any vents -- and don't fall through the ceiling! Fiberglass insulation can range from 50 cents to $1 per square foot, but the blown-in variety can cost nearly double that.

2. Draft day

"Air infiltration" is fancy lingo for "drafts." One time-tested way to detect air infiltration is to hold a lighted candle a few inches from doors, baseboards, window frames, pipes and vents -- after turning off all fans, heating and air conditioning. If the candle flickers or is blown out, sealing is needed.

Use a caulk gun (sometimes old caulk must be removed first) to seal gaps in walls and windows, and add weatherstripping under gaps in doors. Drafts around vents indicate that the vents might be the wrong size. You can have them replaced or add foam insulation around them. These efforts are best left to pros unless you're exceptionally handy.

Another avoid-the-draft tip: Use heavier drapes over windows in winter.

3. Tech smarts

A programmable thermostat that adjusts temperatures automatically will set you back between $60 and $120, but save you about $180 a year, according to Energy Star. That's a quick return on investment.

Smart thermostats are pricier, varying from $275 to $400, but they let you change settings remotely anywhere you have an Internet connection. They're handy for folks with fluctuating schedules or who tend to entertain clients, family members and other guests at home on an impromptu basis.

Some smart thermostats have monitoring systems that track energy use in various circuits around the house, so you can make adjustments where needed. Before taking that plunge, consider smartphone apps that allow you to dim lights and control thermostats, power strips and other connected devices from your phone.

"Smartphone apps can put energy efficiency at your fingertips at a reasonable cost," Kweller says.

4. Slay the 'vampires'

Standby power, also called "vampire" or "phantom" power, is consumed when electrical devices idle in standby mode. These phantoms can suck the life out of your energy budget, accounting for as much as 10 percent of the average home's electricity use.

Most computers, video game consoles and other gizmos with standby connections have settings that you can adjust to power-saving mode. Do so. Older power strips and adapters (typically those warm to the touch) with standby current should be replaced.

5. Tactical landscaping

Strategically planted trees can literally overshadow home energy waste. The original layouts and tree positioning of most lots were governed by builders' profit models, not energy savings, so it's up to homeowners to position clusters of trees to shade windows and rooftops in summer. These natural insulators can reduce the air temperature surrounding homes by as much as 9 degrees.

Deciduous trees, which provide shade in summer, then shed their leaves to admit sunlight in winter, are the best choice in most climates. Evergreens are more effective in providing windbreaks that reduce chilly northerly winds, as long as they are positioned away from the house at a span that's from two to five times the trees' heights.

What's more, shading your outdoor air-conditioning unit can increase its efficiency by 10 percent. The U.S. Department of Energy says that such energy-efficient landscaping provides a return on investment in about eight years.

6. Get audited

Consider an energy audit, especially if the energy bills are still high after you have spent a bundle on windows or on a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Some utility companies offer free audits that aren't as thorough as audits performed by competent private companies, which charge around $400.

A thorough audit will test the integrity of the building using thermographic imaging and air-leakage testers on windows, floors, doors, skylights and walls. The findings will indicate which areas waste the most energy and help determine how to reduce costs. But first, vet the auditor carefully with a Better Business Bureau search and online user reviews.

Certified building analyst Richard Burbank, CEO of Evergreen Home Performance LLC in Rockland, Maine, says energy audits are particularly useful during homebuying due diligence. Enthusiasm over a great price on a distressed home can be quickly dampened when the buyer realizes the house is an energy hog.

"We've seen a lot of buyers who are picking from the bottom of the barrel on foreclosures who especially need to pay attention," Burbank says.

This story was originally published by Bankrate.

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