If you plug "telecommute friendly" into any search engine, you will get lists of companies in return. However, what exactly does telecommute friendly actually mean? Does it describe a company that simply allows telecommuting or one that directly hires telecommuters? Most major companies have some kind of a telecommuting policy, and it may look pretty good on paper. But how--or whether--that policy is implemented makes all the difference.
My list of more than 200 companies that offer some type of work-at-home opportunities focuses on companies that hire telecommuters directly. However, to narrow it down a bit for the purpose of this list of top telecommuting companies, I singled out 10 major corporations that have a proven track record of using a remote workforce across multiple divisions within the company. This doesn't always mean they hire them directly. In some cases, workers need to work for a little while in an office before transitioning to telework, but these companies mean what they say in their flexible work policies.
Who is on the telecommute friendly list may surprise you less than who is not on the list.