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Working from home is supposed to make work easier. No more commuting. No more office politics. Nothing between you and your colleagues except a modem and a view of your backyard.

But if working from home is so easy, why do telecommuters find making it work so hard? Back in 1995, Wall Street giant Merrill Lynch posed that question - and devised a one-of-a-kind program to answer it. "You can't just give people computers, send them home, and call them telecommuters," says Camille Manfredonia, 34, a Merrill Lynch vice president who directs the firm's alternative work arrangements group, based in Somerset, New Jersey. "There are so many issues. What kind of equipment do you need? How will working from home affect your clients, your manager, your coworkers? How will it affect your career? How do you manage people effectively from a distance?"

Manfredonia's group has helped hundreds of Merrill Lynch telecommuters wrestle with these issues by insisting that they complete a grueling training program. So far, about 400 people have gone through the program. Hundreds more will complete it by the end of 1998. Even so, Manfredonia says, "We don't want to make telecommuting so easy that anyone can do it."

There's little chance of that. At Merrill Lynch, prospective telecommuters submit a detailed proposal that covers when and how they're going to work at home - and even what their new office will look like. Then they participate in a series of meetings with their manager and with Manfredonia's group. Finally, they spend two weeks in a simulation lab. "The simulation lets people, and their managers, experience the change," Manfredonia says.

But Merrill Lynch isn't just teaching its people how to work from home; it's developing a curriculum that everyone can learn from. Four lessons stand out.

1. You're out of the office - don't be out of the loop. Informal relationships can be more important than formal assignments. That's why Merrill Lynch requires most of its telecommuters to spend at least one day a week in the office. "Don't expect people to connect with you," says Manfredonia. "You have to stay connected with them. Be sure to go in when there's something special happening, whether it's a key meeting or a colleague's birthday party."

But don't just visit the office to swap gossip. Use your time there to help your coworkers understand how you spend your time at home. Says Eileen Keyes, 33, business manager for the alternative work group: "You never want to be in a position where your manager says, 'I wonder what Jane is doing - is she really working?'"

2. If you want freedom, get organized. You've scheduled a 2 p.m. call with a client. At 1:58, you reach for the receiver - and realize that you left your files at the office. Perfectly understandable, says Keyes - but totally inexcusable.

"You have to learn how to think like a telecommuter," she insists. "You have to plan a day ahead, a week ahead. What are you trying to accomplish? What materials will you need? Where are they?"

That kind of discipline takes practice. That's why Merrill Lynch has established three simulation labs - in Somerset; Jacksonville, Florida; and New York City. In these labs, telecommuter wannabes work on the same projects - and use the same equipment - that they'll handle outside the office.