European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 a the stars and stripes wednesday april 22, 1s92money matters telecommuter gives Homework All a s by David Foster the associated press Seattle a Chuck Hanson is a new Breed of worker indeed monday is the highlight of his week. That s the Day Hanson Quot telecommute Quot to work. He leaves his suit and tie in the closet and his car in the driveway sparing himself a 35-minute Battle with the Seattle areas Rush hour traffic. Instead he ambles Down the hallway to his Den sits in front of a personal computer and begins his Job As a Market planner for get Northwest inc., a regional Telephone company. Hanson is a Guinea pig in the puget sound telecommuting demonstration a yearlong state sponsored Experiment involving 250 Seattle area workers. Official study results Are not yet in but Hanson for one Calls it a resounding Success. He still telecommute even though the Experiment ended in december. He says its hard to imagine working any other Way. Quot flexibility is the key Quot he said. Quot if things Arentt going Well 1 take a break and make it up in the evening or sometimes i go for a jog. Its a lot less stressful. And i m More productive. I can get done at Home in a few hours what it takes a whole Day to do at the  he a part of a growing trend. An estimated 5.5 million . Employees worked in their Homes at least part time last year according to link resources a Manhattan  research firm. That a up 38 percent from a 1990 figure of 4 million telecommuters and More than twice the firms 1988 estimate of 2.5 million. By 1995, there May be More than 11 million telecommuters said Thomas e. Miller a vice president at link. Quot businesses and individuals alike Are looking for increased flexibility in How they perform their work a Miller said. Quot meanwhile computers fax and emerging Telephone services Are All developing in the same direction a to give us More control Over where when and How we conduct our  state agencies in California Washington Florida and Minnesota have started programs allowing employees to telecommute and officials in Arizona Are looking into it said Gil Gordon a telecommuting consultant in Monmouth Junction . Businesses also Are catching on. The travellers corp. Of Hartford conn., Al business lows several Hundred of its 33,000 employees nationwide to telecommute spokesman James Kalach said. Telecommuters at the insurance company include data processing programmers employee benefits workers and even customer service representatives set up in their Homes with dedicated phone lines. Companies increasingly see telecommuting As a Way to increase morale and attract talented employees Gordon said. In los Angeles and Seattle there a another powerful incentive new air Quality taws requiring businesses to reduce employees contributions to Rush hour traffic. But perhaps the greatest reason behind telecommuting a growing popularity is that employees Are asking for it. Miller describes the typical telecommuter As a business executive or professional worker age 35 to 37. Many workers use the flexibility of telecommuting to juggle the demands of child care in dual career households he said. As telecommuting moves beyond the gee Whiz stage some limitations Are becoming obvious. Some jobs such As supervisory positions that require a lot of face to face Contact Are not suitable for telecommuting. And not All employees can handle the Independence of working at Home. They May feel isolated or they May Lack the discipline to resist what consultant Gordon Calls a the Siren Call of fresh doritos in the  Hanson 40, found his own discipline sufficient but his 5-year-old daughter Kelly was a different Story. She would come knocking at his door wondering what daddy was up to. Quot i had to explain that in a Home but in a not really Home a Hanson said. Other distractions can be harder to resolve said Jack m. Nilles a los Angeles consultant who coined the term telecommuting in 1973. Consider the poor worker whose Home office was across from a neighbors window where a Parrot perched squawking All Day. A it drove the Guy up the Wall a Nilles said. There can be problems Back at the office too. Colleagues who Arentt allowed to telecommute May grow envious especially if they Are answering phones and leaving messages at the telecommuters empty desk. But the biggest Barrier experts agreed Chuck Hanson works at the computer in his Den with Quot help from daughter Kelly 5. Is the reluctant attitude of managers who worry that if they cannot see their workers they cannot control them. Quot organizations around the world still have the Industrial revolution mentality a Nilles said. A they just assume without really thinking about it that people have to go to the factory to do useful  allowing an employee to work at Home requires a High degree of Trust Between worker and manager which for one reason or another is often lacking. Tina Koyama 33, can attest to that. Last year she telecommute one Day a week in her Job As a newsletter editor for Seattle metro the City a Public transportation and water Quality Agency. She loved her time at Home. She could Wear sweat pants and she saved a 30-minute bus ride each Way. She believes the Lack of interruptions from co workers made her More productive and her supervisor agrees. In fact the biggest drawback Koyama can think of was the Mickey mouse Telephone in her Den a the first time i talked to someone i had a funny feeling a i was just As glad they  see me a she said. A it did no to seem entirely  she got used to it. But when she was transferred to a new department a few months ago her telecommuting Days ended. She believes she could still do it but her new manager Isnit willing. Not that she blames him. She had worked with her old manager for several years. A we had established that Trust and rapport. I think any manager would want to to that first a Koyama said. Quot telecommuting is definitely an individual  managers recalcitrance May be eased by a new twist called telecommuting work centers a satellite office buildings shared by several organizations located closer to where the workers live. Three such centers opened recently in Southern California the result of a joint venture of businesses and state and local governments. Officials Hope such satellite offices will Cut traffic congestion and air pollution. Editor s note a David Foster the a s Northwest regional reporter based in Seattle has telecommute Hom an office in Nis Home Lor three  climbs in Tokyo on . Economic news from wire reports Tokyo a the Dollar moved higher tuesday against the japanese yen on the Back of encouraging economic data from the United states. The Greenback closed at 134.47 yen up 0.27 yen from new Yorkus late rate monday and up 0.25 yen  close. Quot recent economic data from the United states Are getting better Quot said Takashi Nakamura a chief dealer at Sumitomo  earnings up 2.9% Westlake Village Calif. Dole 1-Ood co. Inc. Has reported first Quarter earnings of $26.7 million or 45 cents a share up 3.9 percent from earnings of $25.7 million or 43 cents a share for the same Quarter of 1991, first Quarter revenues for the food and real estate concern were $753 million up 7.7 percent compared with $699 million in the prior year. The earnings were released monday after the Stock Market closed. The company a food operations reported operating income of $48.6 million off from $51.4 million in the 1991 Quarter. Air fare War continues to rage As american cuts prices further new York apr american airlines is turning up the heat on rivals that tried to undercut its cheaper simpler fares. American announced monday that it is chopping fares further on Many routes and easing its 21-Day Advance Purchase requirement to 14 Days. Other major airlines indicated they would follow americans Lead. American acted after several of the weakest airlines beat prices announced by american two weeks ago As part of a radically simplified fare Structure. Although americans original plan Cut rates by up to 50 percent in some markets most of the Price cuts were on first class and full fare tickets. Rates on Many excursion and special fare tickets actually went up. Monday s Price cuts affect cheaper tickets. Analysts said the wave of cuts could Force weaker airlines out of business. Airlines have reported dramatic increases in reservations in the past week. Besides the 14-Day Advance Purchase rate effective tuesday american will a Cut the Price of full fare tickets in 1,500 Domestic markets for tickets bought through May 20. For example the one Way fare Between new York and los Angeles will drop from $460 to $350. These fares basically match rates announced by trans world airlines american spokesman Tim Smith said. A Cut Advance Purchase and full fare tickets in Aboul 400 other Domestic markets full fare one Way prices for Boston to los Angeles drop from $480 to $350, these will largely match America West airlines fares Smith said. A Cut Advance Purchase fares in 214 Northeast and Midwest routes to Florida to match us air for travel to be completed by june 14. For example one Way full fare rates for new York to Miami fall from $310 to $260. Twa which had Cut rates 10 percent to 20 percent below american is reviewing the latest measures spokesman Don Fleming said. The airline like America West and Continental airlines is flying under bankruptcy court Protection. United airlines will match the new fares said spokesman Joe Hopkins. But the airline already had in place some of the new american measures such As the 14-Day Advance Purchase tickets he said. Delta air lines and Continental said they Are reviewing the cuts. Continental said it already has the 14-Day Advance Purchase Deal in most markets and has Many of the new fares american announced. Northwest airlines said it will match americans 14 Day Advance Purchase measure and review the Price cuts