At the outset of the coronavirus epidemic, many of us were forced to make the abrupt switch to remote work. And a sizable percentage of them want to maintain it that way, even if returning to work becomes an option. According to a March 2021 poll of more than a thousand U.S. workers, a quarter of the workers who are now working from home due to the epidemic wants to stay totally remote.
The great news is that an increasing number of businesses are consenting to part-time or full-time telecommuting agreements for their employees. So, if you need to work from home for a legitimate cause, don't be scared to ask. I did, and here are some suggestions I discovered for increasing your chances of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with your supervisor.
Priority should be given to team/company advantages
While you would clearly not request to continue remote working if it did not benefit you, focusing on that is a mistake. Frame your request not by how working remotely would help you, but by how it will assist your company. It's not enough that you like the freedom of working from home. Explain how you can get more done without a commute, or why the lack of interruptions and disruptions in the office allows you to function at a better level. While you do not need to create a formal business case for remote working, it is beneficial to approach the debate with that attitude. In additon, working from home has numerous advantages, one of which is establishing a better work-life balance. Instead of discussing it, describe the advantages that this move will bring to the firm. For example, not having to commute may enable you to work earlier or later, or working from home may save the firm money.
Make a detailed plan for remote work
Once you've done your analysis, write a brief document outlining how your remote work arrangement may function. This should contain your schedule for the days you'll be working remotely, as well as an explanation of how you'll communicate and measure your production.
One may even consider recommending online tools for virtual communication and project management. (This might even motivate your entire staff to improve their communication and project management skills.)
Finally, your objective should be to address possible problems of working from home from your boss's perspective and make it obvious that the weight of any additional management the arrangement might need is off your boss's shoulders. It should also guarantee that you will work equally as well, if not better, while you are working remotely. Make it as simple for your supervisor to say yes as possible.
Be mindful of the timing of your request
It stands to reason that your request to work remotely will be granted only if your supervisor already has faith in you and respects your job. Even though it is typically true, timing your request immediately after the successful completion of a large project you led or when your employer is exceptionally satisfied with your work might be beneficial.
Prepare for weeks or even months ahead of time by proactively developing a strategy for monitoring and sharing your progress to your supervisor on a regular basis. When the time comes to request remote work, not only will your supervisor recognize your worth as an employee, but you'll also have an established method in place for evaluating your performance.
Show your adaptability and be specific
Make it clear if you want this move to remote work to be temporary, part-time, or permanent. Additionally, strive to be adaptable, providing your boss with choices to assist ease the transition and guarantee an uninterrupted flow of production.
Propose a trial period
While your supervisor might not be ready to authorize long-term work from home five minutes after you pitch it, the prospect of a trial period might be quite attractive (and much harder to decline.) Suggest a trial term of up to 6 months, which might be a wonderful approach to bring a reluctant employer or HR manager around to your way of looking at the idea of you working remotely. . A trial certainly reduces their commitment level and risk, and it allows you to demonstrate to them how effectively the remote arrangement can continue to operate even when others return to the office.
Ask in person
Do not even drop your request on your manager in the middle of a conversation or in a phone conversation. Bring it up if you check in on a frequent basis and have the time. If you don't, make a meeting request. Don't indicate you want to work remotely ahead of time if you don't want to get rejected right away. Instead, Reynolds suggests saying, "I'd want to describe my job duties and how I accomplish my work."
If you are refused, be prepared to leave
When, despite your efforts to investigate remote work arrangements and make a case to your management, they nonetheless refuse you, it may be time to apply for a remote job. Chances are, if they can't satisfy those demands, there's something else going on in the company that's off. The work culture may not be suitable for you. After all, the number of remote employment options is growing by the day. There is no reason why you shouldn't choose a firm that is a better fit for you. There are an increasing number of sites for seeking flexible employment, including job boards such as Flexjobs, and Remote OK.
Conclusion
The meeting's tone should reflect your connection with your employer. If you have a close relationship, the discourse might be more informal than if you have a purely professional relationship.
Seeking a long-term work from home arrangement might be frightening because many businesses are eager to go back into the office, but for many professionals, this will certainly be the best decision. The Covid-19 pandemic experience has proved to many remote working skeptics that working from home may actually work very effectively, but many managers and leaders will still be reluctant to the notion. If you want to request long-term work-from-home status, prepare for probable opposition, organize your strategy, and present your case.
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