The hit they take at the gas pumps is spurring a shift in work culture.

A complete transformation, if it happens, will turn the United States into a "telecommuter nation," workforce analysts predict.

The number of people quitting their jobs because they can't afford to drive to work anymore is growing, said Chuck Wilsker, president and CEO of the Telework Coalition, a D.C. nonprofit organization. Among its roles, the coalition helps employers find assistance to set up telework programs.

"While there are no current statistics to measure the magnitude of the problem, I can say that just in the past three or four months the number of calls I have received from employers considering setting up telecommute programs has tripled," Wilsker said. "They say that their entire motivation is the impact rising fuels costs is having on their operations."

Many companies now allow staff to work from home at least one day a month -- sometimes more often.

Companies daring enough to give more leeway to employees find they reap multiple benefits. Operational expenses are cut because co-workers coming to the office less frequently share office space, computers, and other resources.

And companies are retaining employees who have previously considered taking jobs closer to home, even for less pay. Many would still come out ahead because of money saved at the pumps.

Less than a year ago, Kelly Lachapelle, a Smithsburg resident, spent $28 a week to get to her job in Frederick with Attune, building development consultants. Today she would spend more than $40 in that same timeframe if she was not working at home four of the five days she puts in each week.

"Initially the benefits of working at home were less stress, in that I was no longer dealing with traffic and also I was making a positive impact on the environment," Lachapelle said. "But lately, savings in gas expense has been just as important. I have less of a strain on my budget, which is already affected by the overall increase in the cost of living."

There are quite a few Frederick residents who save at least 90 percent in gas costs because they are hoteling, or working from a remote location on Executive Way in Frederick . If they did not take advantage of this resource -- the Telework Center -- they would drive into the District five days a week.

The center and 13 others like it are operated by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

"We set up one of the telework centers in Frederick because of the demand of agencies with employees living in that area," said Robert Patton, branch chief for GSA Property Management Planning and Policy. "It has been an agreement based on convenience."

The Frederick location's 10 workstations have office furniture, computers, and other equipment, as well as phone lines and Internet connections.

Lately, GSA is seeing an upswing in the use of its centers around the country.

"We cannot be absolutely positive we can attribute the increase in usage with rising gas prices," Patton said. But I tend to think that it is a combination of our initiatives to fill seats and the cost of gas."

The International Telework Association offers multiple ways for employers to efficiently run telecommute programs.

"Companies should have formalized programs where they document and clearly communicate expectations of the arrangements," said Marcia Rhodes, a spokesperson for the association.

"There should be a written agreement between the employer and employee spelling out the details of the flexible work arrangement, including start and end dates. This way flexibility is not only an entitlement, but a sound business arrangement."

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