The "home office" movement has exploded to become a burgeoning $2 billion industry. Twenty-five years ago, only seven million people worked out of their homes. Now, it's estimated that 40+ million people work from home. That's roughly 15 to 17 percent of the United States workforce. And the newcomers to this trend are federal employees.

It's a surprise that corporations within the United States and Canada have been sending their employees home to work for 10 years now, yet the U.S. government is just now taking action to place employees in a "home office."

The President's Council on Management Improvement (PCMI) developed an initiative to test the use of flexible workplace arrangements in 1990. Last month, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) authorized its first workers-in-the-home environment. The seven-person staff of the National Energy and Water Management Center in Fort Worth, TX, was selected. They were ideal candidates since their customer base was spread throughout the country, and their tasks were mainly achieved through the use of fax, telephone and e-mail. They -- like many other Americans and Canadians -- are oblivious to their location, be it in a high rise in Fort Worth or the second floor of their homes.

The dramatic advantages in the information highway, accelerating costs of maintaining workers in the office environment, socio-economic factors including child care, freeway driving and security have heightened an interest in alternative work arrangements, mainly that of the "home office." Work-at-home programs are beneficial for accommodating disabled employees, employees that need to be on leave for maternity or paternity reasons, or convalescence from a short-term injury or illness.

Corollary issues to this migration homeward are those raised by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It's OSHA that governs the safety of the workplace. Offices in the home must require adequate work space, light, telephone service, power and temperature control, not to mention adequate physical ergonomics related to furnishing and fixtures. In addition, the management of a federal employee may deny or rescind a work-at-home opportunity based on varying safety problems or suspected hazardous materials in the home.

Physical ergonomics include concerns like workers using television trays, saw horses and an old door for work surfaces, inadequate seating and poor lighting. It's easy to control the environment of an office but most workers are not willing to invest in the appropriate types of office constructs in their homes.

Appropriate includes -- but is not limited to -- a fully adjustable chair, sufficient and correct height work surfaces, lighting designed for worker-related tasks and cable-wiring management. They also must have an understanding of musculoskeletal injuries that can impact their success in the "work-at-home" environment.

Safety issues aside, employers and employees have a challenging road ahead. Additional concerns include supervision, productivity, personal interaction and relationships, professionalism, information exchange and, lastly, insurance.

Interior design faces a new opportunity for problem solving. And with this will come clear ergonomic benefits to the interior design profession. First, however, the profession will need to collaborate and work hand in hand with corporations and governments to provide responsive and sophisticated solutions for the office of the future.

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