Working from home offers tremendous benefits. If you’re a person who has longed to work from home, it may be possible to make this scenario a reality. Before approaching your boss with the idea, take some steps to see if this would actually be practical for you.
List Your Responsibilities
Think about the work that you do. It’s helpful to refer to your original scope of work from when you were hired. Make a list of tasks that you do now, because scopes of work tend to shrink and enlarge as businesses change and employees come and go. Include everything, even menial tasks like making coffee in the morning or liaising with the office copier repair person.
Envision How it Would Work
Now think about how you could transition your job responsibilities to a work from home situation. Do you have a job where it would be possible to work remotely? Not everyone does. If you’re a receptionist, you likely need to be behind a desk in the lobby of your office. But if you’re an account manager, you could probably service your accounts just as easily from home.
Consider Your Home Setup
Before broaching the subject with your boss, consider your home work area. Is there an area of your home where you could have quiet, privacy and solitude? Is there space for a desk? Do you have high-speed internet or could you acquire it? When you do speak to your boss, it will be helpful if you can reassure him or her that you have adequate workspace available in your home already.
Consider Your Family’s Needs
If you’re married and/or have children, consider how your working from home will affect them. Will your spouse or partner be supportive of your decision, or will it cause resentment or animosity? A supportive partner will make everything easier, but you also need to consider their feelings.
What about your children? Will they be able to resist jumping on your lap while you’re trying to work? Will they be upset when you close the door so you can have privacy? Young kids may have a harder time understanding why mommy or daddy can’t play when they’re right there on the other side of the door.
Of course, you have the right to work at home if it’s okay with your employer. But the realities of making it work with your family do need to be thought of.
Will You Really Enjoy It?
Many people dream of staying at home and working in their pajamas. What they forget to consider is the isolation and loneliness that comes from not interacting in person with colleagues. For social butterflies, isolation can feel like punishment. Remember, once you get your boss to agree, it could be embarrassing or awkward to try to walk back your decision.
Do You Want the Added Responsibility?
There will be more things you have to take care of yourself when you work from home. If your office equipment breaks, it will be up to you to figure out a solution. You’ll need to take more care with keeping track of office expenses so your CPA can deduct them for you. You’ll have more deductions working from home, but you have to keep receipts and records organized yourself.
Convince Your Boss to Continue Letting You Work From Home
Have you already been working from home during the pandemic? If so, you might have gotten used to the extra freedoms that come from working in your own home. Many workplaces are starting to bring workers back into the office, but if you want to keep working from home, here are some ways to make that happen.
Over-Perform
Let your boss know that you can be more productive working from home by over-performing on your projects. Submit completed work early instead of on time. Do extra credit work that will help the company be more profitable.
Be Responsive
Don’t “disappear” while working from home. Show that you’re reliable and responsible by being responsive to emails and phone calls. This will prove that you aren’t off doing laundry when you’re supposed to be hard at work.
Highlight the Benefits
Consider drafting a memo to your boss highlighting all the benefits of continuing to work from home. Ideas include:
More available space at the workplace
Not worrying about you getting in on time or leaving early
Less money spent on office supplies in the workplace
Less energy use in the workplace
Fewer sick days
Explain Your Family Commitments
Your boss is human, too. Let your boss know if you have extensive family commitments that are easier to fulfill when you’re working from home, like picking up kids after school, caring for an elderly parent and similar situations. Explain that when you have to juggle family commitments along with commuting and being at work all day, it causes you a lot of extra stress that keeps you from focusing properly on your work.
One final thought that you need to take into consideration is your own self-discipline. Do you have the willpower to say no to your friend who wants you to play hooky and go shopping all day? Can you force yourself to work instead of trying out a new recipe you found on Instagram? If you don’t think you have the willpower to work at home for what might amount to eight hours, five days a week, you could be jeopardizing your job. If you can’t pull your weight from home, your boss could notice and decide you’re not such a good fit for the company after all.