I have worked in customer service for years. At my last place of employment in the UK, I asked management for a laptop loaded with company software so I could work those extra "we had to downsize, sorry but you'll be doing more overtime from now on" hours from the comfort of my home office, and maybe be able to spend some time with my husband a couple of evenings a week. Much of what I did was Word based, with some telephoning (which I was happy to do from my own line, at no extra charge, just for the convenience), and a lot of emailing. With the company's software, I would have been able to stay in the network, even on "duvet days", when I couldn't be arsed getting out of bed to put in my 60th hour at the office that week. Their response: It would be too costly. Too costly? What about when I was off for two weeks with stress and overwork, but you still had to pay my salary and hire a temp to cover me? Was that really cheaper than a laptop?

People who reach Esther DeJesus when they call Office Depot Inc.'s customer service center have no idea that she's sitting at home in a room decorated with pictures of Garfield and Betty Boop.

The Orlando, Florida, resident, who works on the retailer's account for call center contractor Willow CSN, is one of a new breed of customer service representative.

Rather than commuting to a crowded office, she puts in 37 to 40 hours a week at home and sets her own schedule.

"It is really convenient," said DeJesus, who likes the setup because it allows her to take care of her grandmother.

It seems to be okay for companies to move their call centre operations to Mumbai, but not to my livingroom. Way to go, Office Depot, for coming to your senses and seeing that it really does begin at home - not just on home soil, but literally at home.

After some unsuccessful attempts to move call centers abroad, U.S. companies are shifting some of that work back to this country -- and into people's homes.

Besides Office Depot, JetBlue Airways Corp., General Electric Co. and Staples Inc. are among the companies that have been using stay-at-home customer service representatives as an alternative to traditional call centers in the United States, India and the Philippines.

Home-based workers are usually happier, which means better service, these companies say. The arrangement also allows employers to schedule people in small part-time slots when call volume is higher, rather than hiring regular call-center workers who get paid whether they are busy or not.

I know where my resumes are going!