For some cubicle monkeys, working from home sounds downright cushy: reclining in your PJs with a laptop propped up on your knees, a plate of freshly toasted Pop Tarts at your side, and "The Price Is Right" twinkling in the background.

But as the millions of telecommuters out there can tell you, it's not like that at all. Not only do you need to be just as alert, productive and professional at home as you are in the office, you also have to make sure your boss knows you are.

Here are some tips on how to telecommute effectively — and how to ease your boss's fears that your request to work from home is a sorry excuse to sleep in.

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IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?

Considering working from home a few days a week? First ask yourself these questions.

• Is it even feasible? Some jobs, especially those that require working with a group on a daily basis, just aren't cut out for telecommuting.

• What are my reasons? Good ones include cutting travel time, avoiding co-worker related distractions, and creating a more flexible schedule. A bad one is the desire to juggle your work with another commitment, such as childcare, a home renovation, or a second job. Don't fool yourself into thinking that telecommuting means working fewer hours.

• Do I have the right personality for it? You must be able to treat your home as an office, work well alone, not feel tempted by the TV or Internet, and be willing to have your career spill a bit into your home life.

"Working at home blurs boundaries, but somehow it reduces stress. Probably because you end up with more time," said Kristin Byron, assistant professor of management in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.

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TALKING THE BOSS INTO IT

Once you decide telecommuting would be good for you, let your employer know how it will benefit them. Come up with a business proposal: telling your boss you want to work from home isn't enough; you have to sell the idea.

For instance, you can say your usual hour-and-a-half of commuting time will be spent doing extra work. You can stress that the ability to telecommute will make you a happier worker who's more likely to stay with the company. You can offer to be on-call some nights and weekends, since your home office will be equipped for work.

"Employers are more open to flexible schedules now, as long as it's well thought out," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of administrative staffing service OfficeTeam.

OfficeTeam surveys have found that telecommuting is still on the rise. While it's much more common and accepted for staff-level jobs, about a quarter of senior executives telecommute "somewhat frequently," a recent survey showed.

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DON'T PHONE IT IN

Everyone who wants to get ahead in their career has to be their own cheerleader. Those who telecommute need to cheer even louder.

Make the most of your in-office days, especially if you're looking to advance within the company. Don't just greet your co-workers and retreat to your cube. Schedule face-to-face meetings, arrange to have coffee and lunch with colleagues, and attend social functions.

This means that even if Friday is normally your telecommuting day, don't skip Friday's office holiday party.

"You don't want to develop an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality," Domeyer said, noting that if you do, you might get passed over for an interesting assignment or promotion. "You need a plan for how to stay connected with your corporate culture."

It's forefront in Juliet Sallette's mind. As the marketing director at law firm LaBovick LaBovick & Wald PA, Sallette had to lobby her boss for months to work from home three days a week.

"The number one thing people say is, 'Oh, so you watch Oprah every day and eat bonbons,'" Sallette said. To battle this image, she says she tries to schedule as many face-to-face meetings as she can with her co-workers during her days in the office, and keep her boss constantly updated on what she's been working on.

"That face time is so critical, to keep him apprised of my successes," Sallette said.

When working at home, e-mail and instant messenger are great tools to keep in touch with the office. But be aware that electronic contact isn't the same as talking to someone in person. Unless you're a real wordsmith, it can lack the tone, warmth, and personality that body language and facial expressions convey naturally. (Emoticons don't cut it.)

"It's a real mistake to think e-mail communication can substitute for other types of communication. It's great • I love using e-mail • but recognize that like any other form of communication, it has limitations," said Byron, who works from home a few days a week.

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OFFICE, SWEET OFFICE

Some recommendations from longtime telecommuters:

• Even though no one can see you, act as if they can. Most people won't get much work done if they're wearing pajamas and gnawing on a Hot Pocket.

• Create a work space that's quiet, and not where you eat or sleep. Even if you work well despite distractions, you don't want a colleague or client on the phone to hear loud music, a beeping microwave, or worse, your voicemail going off as you take a quick snooze.

• Have a reliable Web connection and phone line. If you're hard to reach, your co-workers won't blame your Internet provider — they'll blame you.

• Each week, post a schedule with your whereabouts and how to reach you, even if it rarely changes. You may think it's easy to remember that you usually work from home Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; your co-workers may not.

• Every week, articulate to your boss what you've accomplished. You don't have to be a brown-noser about it • just be straightforward.

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asap contributor Madlen Read is an AP business writer in New York.

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