These factors will make the conversion a certain short-term money-loser, while the cost savings won't materialize until long after the economic crisis has stabilized. But your "customers" are asking for telecommuting, and who are you to be sand in the gears of progress?

Let telecommuting gain some momentum. When the CFO figures out the financial reality, it will be all over. Nothing kills a corporate initiative better than disillusionment.

2. Keep HR out of it

An employee's home office is their place of work, which means their employer is responsible for ensuring a safe work environment. So if you involve HR before you allow telecommuting, they'll require .

If you ignore HR and just ask forgiveness later, you might get lucky. If you aren't, an isolated employee might trip over the cat while walking to the home office and file a workers compensation claim, alerting HR that they better become involved.