You’ve daydreamed about spending your mornings at the beach instead of sitting in snail-paced traffic eating brekky bars and sipping on bad coffee. And you long for the day you can enjoy the afternoon sun on your back porch, not staring at solid beige walls and partitions. These are some sure signs that you’re ready to work from home.
And if you’re confident your work can be done from home just as effectively, if not even more so, perhaps it’s time to have a chat with the boss.
The Talk
If no one else in the organisation works remotely, you’ve probably got your work cut out for you convincing your boss this is a good idea. But it is possible. Do your research on the benefits of remote work, present the facts to back you up, (we have plenty of resources on our blog to help) and have a plan ready detailing exactly how you propose to work from home.
Slowly, Slowly
Unfortunately, many employers unfamiliar with the concept of remote work still misconceive working from home as lazy or somehow inferior. So the chances of them agreeing to you leaving the office and never coming back are up there with landing a pay rise on a Monday morning before the coffee run. You will have more chance of success by suggesting working remotely just one or two days a week as a trial period, with view to transferring to a full-time remote role if all goes well.
The Verdict
Ideally, you and your manager will have already built trust and a good working relationship. That increases the likelihood of them finally allowing you the flexibility to work from home. But if the talk doesn’t go so well, you might have some tough decisions to make. If your employer isn’t willing to consider remote work arrangements, remember there are thousands of organisations that are looking for remote staff.
Deliver on the Deal
When you’re finally sitting at the desk of your new home office, make sure your mind is on the job, and you deliver your end of the deal. An apprehensive boss will be monitoring your performance and carefully reviewing the bottom line. It’s important the remote arrangement works just as well, but preferably better, than you being in the office – and that applies for both parties.
Onwards and Upwards
Once you reach the end of the agreed trial period, hopefully you’re loving life as a remote worker and your boss is realising just how much more productive you are when you work from home. If everyone is happy, you should be able to slip into working remotely on a permanent basis. Your organisation could consider introducing remote work arrangements across the board to provide employees with greater flexibility, and increase their appeal as an employer and ability to attract more highly skilled, dedicated staff just like you.
