working from home
If you’re one of the many corporate sisters (and brothers) buried under snow today on the Northeast, and who had to (or wished they could) work from home today, you may be wondering when is a good time to request working from home. First off, you may want to check if that is even an option. Rather than remaining silent and forgoing the possibility of working in your pajamas while your kids flush the car keys when you’re not looking (yes, it has happened!), just ASK! It took me years to work up the nerve to ask if there was even a remote chance to work from home, only to find out that it would have been ok all along (are you kidding me?)…
- Make sure you ASK right off the bat: Whether it’s right during the interviewing process or even in your first months of employment, ask, in a professional but firm manner, what the company policy is in terms of working from home. HR will usually direct you back to your direct supervisor or manager. Here again, ask the question as professionally as you can, and remember the worst that they can tell you is: NO!
- Explain your circumstances: Whether you are shooting a quick email to the boss on a snowy day asking to work from home because the kids’ school is closed, or if you are requesting to work from home one day a week to care for your newborn, make sure to explain your circumstances. While you may want to be specific, there is no need to delve too much into the details of your personal life.
- Always offer something in exchange! As an influential big corporate sister once told me, “nothing is for free, so next time you ask for something, offer something else in return.” It’s been my mantra ever since at work. When requesting to work from home, offer alternative solutions to potential problems that may pose themselves. Yes, you won’t be physically present at the office, but you may be able to use tools such as Webex to host long-distance meetings, for instance. Anticipate potential issues/objections, and offer possible solutions.
How do you manage to request working from home?
Great article and advice. During most of my career I have had a go into the office job and it has it’s own advantages and disadvantages. But for the last several years I have had the opportunity to work from home and overall it has been great. As technology advances I can see more and more companies going this way. And since some of the normal overhead fees are taken out of the equation it has it’s own benefits for the employer.
Thank you for your comment! I agree that both employee and employer can benefit from the work-at-home option, time to change the corporate culture!
I agree Jeremy! With the advent of technology, and to see how incredible busy our lives have become, it’s becoming a necessity for companies to offer their employees some kind of flexibility to work from home. besides, it has been demonstrated that high levels of effectiveness and productivity can achieved working from home, as opposed to working at the office for extended periods of times. Thanks for the great insight!
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