Experts Predict Telecommuting Will Increase in Next Century
In a recent survey of human resource professionals by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, 43 percent said telecomuting would be the most important trend in the 21st century. Experts estimate that 10 million Americans now telecommute. In the next year, as broadband Internet access becomes widely available in homes, the home PC will become just as fast as the office computer, which should quickly add to the numbers of telecommuters.

Clinton Signs Disabled Benefits Bill
A measure that will allow workers with disabilities to hold onto their Medicare benefits longer has finally been signed into law by President Clinton. Advocates for the disabled welcomed the new law, saying that fear of losing their federal healthcare benefits has kept many disabled people out of the workplace. The law will provide $250 million to states for demonstration programs to work out problems in allocating the money.

Stats Show Safest Year Ever for Workers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has announced that the rate of job-related illnesses and injuries in private workplaces set a record low in 1998. Out of every 100 workers, there were 6.7 illnesses or injuries, down from 7.1 in 1997. Announcing the new stats, Labor Secretary Alexis Herman noted that it was the sixth consecutive year that rates had declined.

Flight Attendants Want Workplace Protection
Saying that their jobs exposed them to dangerous illnesses and poor air quality, the nation's flight attendants have asked the Federal Aviation Administration to give them the same health and safety protections that other workers enjoy. The attendants want protection that meets the standards set by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A petition for OSHA coverage was denied to flight attendants in 1997.