Australian Navy brass have ordered a two-month shutdown over Christmas, and have told personnel with child-care problems that they can work at home.

All unit heads have also been ordered to allow personnel affected by the collapse of the ABC Learning child-care company more flexible working arrangements including working at home if necessary until they have found alternative care.

Australian military services, like most of the public service, relied on ABC Learning for child-care services for its workers. Hundreds of children of navy personnel are affected by the collapse of the child-care giant.

Local unit commanders were told that “following the announcement that ABC child care has gone into receivership”, they must be “understanding of this stressful situation as the new working year approaches”.

“Local commanders are to make every effort to negotiate flexible working arrangements that allow families to manage their commitments at home and at work until the situation is resolved,” the directive says.

The telecommuting, work at home, freelance world of home office work is rife with scams. Even scammers warn of scams. But the worst scam you’ll come across is one you run on yourself. Your business is not the place to be lying to others—or yourself, for that matter.

Lately there seems to be a growing trend to accept reality as whatever you say it is. That was especially true during the elections, particularly so in mass media. It was also true back in the Dark Ages. Little exaggerations turn into bigger exaggerations turn into outright lies—the idea that Harvard Business School teaches the Mark Kay business plan is a case in point. They don’t. They merely use a case study that mentions Mary Kay incentives, and that was mentioned in a newspaper article, and now true believers at Mary Kay tout the lie as if it were gospel.

A successful business is built on reality and facts not wishful thinking. In business when you lie to yourself you’re setting yourself up for failure. When you lie to others you’re setting yourself up for a lawsuit…and failure.

So when Beth Hodgson over at InventorsSpot.com writes on November 8th, “I wholeheartedly endorse” The Thriving Office audio CD we have to object.

The CD is two tracks, a noisy office, and a very noisy office—phone ringing, typwriters clacking (does anyone still use those monstrosities?), and people yakking. In other words, all the things that make working at home more productive.

She goes on, “…it’s a great business idea, (and) I am sure there are many entrepreneurs out there want their clients to think that their company is in demand, with lots of strenuous corporate activity being completed by a slew of staff members.”

But Beth’s heart seems to be in the right place, though, even if her ethics aren’t. She acknowledges that, “in demand and successful as they [entreprenuers] may be, the office might consist of the lone founder slaving away with their laptop on the Lazyboy; dog at their feet and baby napping an arm’s length away.” She even admits, “I can’t help but wonder where the perception that a noisy office is indicative of success came from in the first place. Isn’t there a reason that management and corporate executives are typically tucked away in one of the few fully enclosed office spaces that come with a door to cut out the noise? With that in mind, wouldn’t your clients think of you as more important, and therefore highly successful if your voice carried over the phone from a silent surrounding?”

We think this disk is a really bad idea, and we wholeheartly disagree with her recommenation of The Thriving Office CD.