Because he works remotely, Michael Golightly doesn't have to hassle with a commute. But his workday still starts early, at 7 a.m., in part because he manages teams as far away as Hyderabad, India. 

If he were in an office, he could turn out the lights and go home relatively early in the afternoon. But working from home, he still gets calls and emails after his eight-hour day. "Normally, my end time would be 3 p.m.," he says, "but everyone knows I'm around after that."

Welcome to the new reality of remote workers: the same demanding jobs, but oftentimes-blurred lines between personal and work lives.