At this writing, the Midwest—and specifically, what is now known as "Chiberia"—is in the grip of a post-snowstorm spate of sub-zero days (and when I say "sub," I mean 30 to 40 degrees below zero) that has disrupted transportation, closed schools and forced folks to stay home.

Luckily for me, my employer, Summit Professional Networks, is work-at-home friendly, so at this writing, I'm sitting in my living room, laptop on lap and cup of tea at hand, wearing sweatpants, heavy socks, a hoodie and several underlayers, with Ralph and Keaton The Dachshunds curled up next to me.

Not so long ago, most bosses expected their employees to be working in the office; those that wouldn't or couldn't comply were welcome to hit the bricks. Today, we have the cloud, mobile devices and smartphones. We also have more than the usual amount of unusual weather, as well as a younger workforce that's accustomed to doing everything in the virtual world. Who needs a long commute just to get to a work-sanctioned desk?