John Paul Jones

Quality-of-life issues played a central role in John Paul Jones' decision to move his family from the San Francisco Bay area to Pocatello, Idaho. But that didn't mean he had to give up his position maintaining and monitoring the Energy Department networks. Fortunately, his boss agreed to make a few minor changes to Jones' job description.

Because Jones lives hundreds of miles from his main office, DOE has devised a way for him to participate in weekly staff meetings: videoconferencing. Still, once every five or six weeks Jones travels to California to check out system modifications.

"Although it's difficult at times being away from home, I firmly believe that traveling back to the organization's main site and maintaining the working and personal relationships with co-workers is an essential part of a successful telecommuting arrangement."