I know I need health insurance. I know the matching contributions my employer makes to my 401(k) are like free money and will pay off down the road. Despite those more practical benefits, without a doubt being able to telecommute from home is my favorite.

My office mates when I work from home.

Many managers and supervisors fear that days spent “working” at home amount to no more than a free day spent lounging in fuzzy slippers and pjs while watching TV or doing chores around the house. They worry that if they can’t actually stop by employees’ desks to check in, the employees’ natural tendency to slack will win over the drudgery of work.

For the past year and a half, my boss has allowed me to spend at least one day of the week working remotely.Yes, as the typical stereotype goes, there are fuzzy slippers and pjs most of the time. But there are no soap operas, chores, or other time-wasting nonwork activities going on. In fact, I’d venture to say that my employer gets more actual “work” time out of me on days when I’m at home than when I’m in the office. Let me explain. read more…

It’s the start of a New Year, and we all know what that means…the opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show! The hot gadgets at this year’s CES include: More iPad wannabes than you can shake an app at (Are tablets the future of workplace technology?)…3-D mobile phones… robots…and much more.

For those who want to combine the comfort of a La-Z-Boy with the thrilling coolness of browsing a tablet, I give you the ultimate in tech furniture.

AP reported this week that Apple CEO Steve Jobs hauls in annual salary of just $1. No, that can’t be! However, if you read the fine print, you’ll notice that Jobs has 5.5 million shares of Apple stock, which translates into $1.8 billion. Does Apple give him a payroll check for $1? A dollar bill instead? Curious readers would like to know.

If you live in one of these 27 states, don’t throw away your old tech gadgets. In some cases, you might be breaking the law. Seriously?

What else is happening?

-Ralph Gaillard