Working in different time zones presents many more benefits and challenges depending on the nature of the job and the relative time zones. In a support role time zones can be very handy for customer support. One support analyst takes an issue and defines it, then hands it to an analyst in another time zone if additional work needs to be done. Instead of a few hours made available to a client and their problem, you have now made several more non-overtime hours available.

For people so inclined, timezones allow 2nd jobs with part-time work during "normal" work hours at the second job. Living on the east coast, there is no reason why I couldn't work a west coast for 3 hours or more and still be available during normal business hours to the west coast employer.

The major hinderance to working in a distributed/work-at-home environment has been communications. Now, with technology advancements make that problem become less of a concern (you can pretty much "reach out and touch somebody" whenever you want or need and even see who you are talking to), this environment is becoming much more attractive to employers.

Mark