The new policy's sparked an online debate about telecommuting, a workplace (or non-workplace) trend that's been gaining momentum for years in our increasingly connected economy. The policy smacks of a throwback, driving hard against the grain, especially coming from the heart of Silicon Valley, a cabal of companies known for cutting-edge employee benefits. 

But, on closer inspection, the facts seem to debunk conventional wisdom.

A 2012 study from a pair of university professors, "The hard truth about telecommuting," revealed that while the latest Department of Labor numbers suggest roughly a quarter of employees work at least some time from home, the number is actually closer to 17 percent. And maybe more surprisingly, that number has remained relatively flat over the last decade. Additionally, the study found "most notably, telecommuters worked between 5 and 7 total hours more per week than non-telecommuters…and were more likely to work overtime, regardless of how overtime is defined."

It's just the latest topic in an ongoing national conversation about telecommuting. Employers remain reluctant, especially in this economy, to let go of their day-to-day supervision of their workforces, among other things. Employees, on the other hand, have been clamoring for more telecommuting flexibility for a while now, and advances in technology have erased many of the objections employers have raised over the years. (In fact, one study shows nearly 40 percent of employees would opt for at least some telecommuting option over a pay raise.)

Both sides can take something away from these studies. Employers can counter the myth of telecommuting that "everybody's doing it," because that's simply not the case. On the flip side, employees can argue how much more productive they are when they're allowed to do it.

Keep in mind that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is still struggling with what many have called a bloated workforce stretched across the country, and job cuts are no doubt looming on the company's horizon sooner rather than later. This is a clever way for her to trim some of that fat without issuing harsh layoffs, so maybe this isn't the best exhibit in the telecommuting debate. (And, mark my words, those layoffs are coming this year either way.) Keep in mind this is the same CEO who raised eyebrows with her pregnancy back when the board tapped her for the job. So it's safe to say she's been operating in a fish bowl from day one.

One more caveat: Employees at Yahoo—like most of Silicon Valley—still enjoy more lavish employee benefits than most of us will ever see, so they're hardly indentured servants.

But despite the data, and this latest setback, telecommuting is coming. How employers—and employees—deal with it will make all the difference.

(And, yes, I wrote this from home today, wrapped in a blanket, shrouded in a tattered hoodie and surrounded by snow drifts.)