This paper provides an overview of the information currently available on the prospects of electronic work at home. The first major section examines the technological environment that makes electronic home work possible. Central and dispersed computer facilities, internal and external means of communication, work stations, software, and security factors are studied from the standpoints of present and future technology and from the point of view of a work organization considering the design of a system that could accommodate electronic home workers. The second major section considers likely human implications of electronic home work. These are classified as costs and benefits (interpreted broadly as disadvantages and advantages) to the worker, to the employer, and to society. The paper concludes that the electronic cottage option has costs and benefits that depend on particular circumstances and their interaction and that the option offers the potential to improve the quality of many workers' lives. (YLB)