After nearly three years of living with COVID, many companies feel safe enough to bring employees back to the office. But if you’re like many people who got used to the WFH life during the pandemic, you are hard-pressed not to give up that flexible lifestyle. If your employer is insisting that you come into the office again, all hope isn’t lost – you might just have to try to convince your boss that you can continue to work from home! Today, we are sharing some tips for getting your boss to agree to you working remotely.
Understand Your Company’s Strategy and Make a Business Case
Before you knock on your boss’s office door, you should note your employer’s messaging. This way, you can suggest why remote work benefits the company. For example, if there is cost-cutting, examine why remote work could save the company money. If you aren’t spending 2 hours a day commuting anymore, show them how working from home gives you more time to put towards your workload. If there are concerns around productivity, think of ways to prove how your productivity would continue to increase if you worked from home – and show them how productive you have been in the past 3 years to prove it.
Beware – if you have slacked the last 3 years and expect to be able to continue working from home, this article may not be for you. If you’ve continued to work hard and grow, keep reading!
Jot Down Your Thoughts
It is always a great idea to write down your thoughts so you can plan what to say when making your WFH case. Create a proposal that includes your skills and responsibilities and how you can effectively and efficiently accomplish them at home. Tie this into how the company will benefit, and make sure you state how this can continue to be a win-win.
Propose a Trial Period
Suggest a three-month WFH trial period where you track your productivity and performance. You can create milestones to keep yourself on track. You could also suggest a hybrid schedule trial where you work remotely 2 or 3 days a week and go into the office the remainder of the time. Don’t start by asking to work from home on Monday or Friday, as this might seem like you are just looking to have longer weekends.
Get Face to Face
If you can’t get face to face with your employer or manager, you should at least meet with them over FaceTime. If they are going into the office, that’s where you should plan to be as well, even if you are going to do your FaceTime call from there. Negotiating face-to-face can be awkward, but sending an email makes you less likely to make your case effectively. Remember, you are not pitching a project; you are simply having a conversation and suggesting something that might end up being more beneficial for all involved.
Be Patient
If your boss needs time to consider your proposal, you must be patient. Continue working toward your goal and prove that you are a productive and valuable employee.
Have you successfully convinced your employer to let you work from home? Share your experience with us in the comments below.