How do I ask my boss to work remotely?
Many would love to just avoid the commute to and from work every and rather work remotely a few days a week or even full time but are afraid to ask.
So we will address the question: ‘How do I ask my boss to work remotely’?.
8 ESSENTIAL TIPS ON HOW TO ASK YOUR BOSS TO WORK REMOTELY
1. Outline steps to create a viable plan to present when asking your boss to work remotely full time.
I’ve found that the best way to make this work is to have a plan. You need a clear understanding of what you want to do, why you want to do it, and how it will benefit your company. It may be that you need to make a case for why working remotely is better than being in the office.
If you’re going to work remotely, you need to know how you’re going to get your work done and what tools you’ll use. You also need to have a plan for getting the work back into the office, whether it’s through emailing files or posting them online. You’ll also need to know how often you’ll check in with your boss and how much time you’ll spend on tasks that can’t be done remotely.
This could include:
- Determine your personal motivation for wanting to work remotely.
- Determine your company’s needs and goals
- Identify the tasks you will need to do remotely and those that must be done in person.
- Create a plan for how you will keep up with your work while working remotely and make sure it is realistic and achievable.
- Create a plan on how to deal with any potential challenges you may face when working from home, such as staying productive or overcoming loneliness or boredom.
- Create a plan for what happens if you get sick or need to take time off of work.
- Create a plan for how you will communicate with your colleagues and boss while working remotely – both what tools you will use and ways to stay connected in person (such as meeting up for lunch).
- Present your case to your boss by showing them the plans you have made and why they are necessary for success in this new arrangement.
2. Explain your reasons for requesting to work remotely and the specific nature of your request.
In my case, I requested to work remotely so that I could focus on my health and start a new business. I explained that I would be in touch with my team, but that I would need to take time off to recover from surgery. I also explained that I would be available for emergencies. My boss agreed to allow me to work remotely for six months, and then we will discuss how it’s going and if we need to make any changes.
3. Discuss your work track record in a way that shows you are capable of handling the responsibilities that come with working from home.
The key is to be able to show your boss that you are capable of handling the responsibilities that come with working from home. If you have been working at your company for a while, then you may have a good track record. Show your boss the things that you have done and the results you have achieved. If this is your first job, then you will need to make sure that you are willing to work hard and show your boss that you can be trusted. Just be sure not to oversell yourself. You want to show your boss that you are competent and reliable, but don’t make it seem like it’s impossible for you to work in an office.
4. Outline a specific schedule that you plan to follow while working remotely.
I’ve found that it’s best to work remotely from the same location each day. It can be tempting to work from home one day, then from a coffee shop the next, but this will make it hard for your boss to track your progress. When you are working remotely, make sure that you have a set schedule that you plan to follow while working remotely. For example
1) I’ll work from 7 am-12 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.
2) I’ll work from 1 pm-5 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
3) I’ll work from 10 am-2 pm on Fridays. Work hours may vary.
5. Propose how you plan to keep in contact with all necessary parties including clients, managers, and team members.
I have a lot of experience working remotely, and I have found that it is very important to maintain contact with all necessary parties. These include clients, managers, and team members. It is important to stay in touch with these people through phone, email, Skype, or other communication methods.
This will keep you up-to-date on any changes in the company or projects you are working on. I would also recommend making a plan for how you will stay in contact with these people before you request to work remotely.
6. Discuss any costs that may be associated with your working remotely, such as new technology and software. Also, make it clear and who will be responsible for paying for it.
When you ask your boss to work remotely, it’s important to discuss any costs that may be associated with your working remotely. For example, will your employer provide you with a laptop or will you need to buy one? will your employer pay for internet service?
7. Include specific steps you will take to remain accountable to your manager and your team.
In order to avoid any misunderstandings, make sure you have a conversation with your boss and your team before you start working remotely. The goal of this conversation is to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands what is expected. You should also be transparent about your work and be in contact with your team as much as possible. This will help you avoid any potential problems.
8. Outline every benefit that you anticipate working remotely will have for your organization. Include at least three unique advantages.
Don’t communicate only benefits on fully remote working is for you. But rather focus on the benefits for your company. This could:
-Save money on office space
-Increase productivity by allowing employees to work from home
-Talent acquisition is easier because you can recruit people from any location
-It is an effective way to reduce absenteeism
-It is a proven way to cut down on commuting time and costs
-It is an excellent way to foster more collaboration and team work
-It will create a more diverse workforce
-It is a great way to attract top talent to your company
Don’t just copy-paste but give it some thought about what is really a benefit for your company.
CONVINCE YOUR BOSS IN WAYS BY ASKING YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:
1. Are there any special things you use every day that you only have in your office or that you can only handle on your office network?
2. Do you have the tools you need to get the job done? (For example, printers and mobile phones, landlines, stable internet environments, etc.)
3. Is there a good place to work?
4. Is there a multifunctional remote access server machine (VPN, remote desktop, etc.) for files, network shares, and information that cannot be accessed on the Internet other than the office?
5. Do you have an office laptop or solid desktop that you can work at home (with the OS, tools, and utilities you need to work downloaded)?
Once you’ve confirmed that you have a practical working environment at home, it’s time to determine if your job isn’t like you’re sitting at your desk under the supervision of a manager.
Rather your manager needs to see your value based on your work performance. The latter is more likely to convince your boss.
Unfortunately, many bosses believe that they can’t manage or assess productivity without seeing them actually working. Therefore, in the case of such a boss, there are cases where it does not work no matter how well you prepare the environment for working from home.
Similarly, if you work in a shift system or if you have to come to work for some reason (for example, retail, customer service, physical labor such as warehouse agglomeration), it may be difficult to work from a distance.
START UNDER SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
You need to come up with a solution for how working remotely can work before you ask your boss to work from home.
It’s a good idea to work out a suggestion not only for you but also for those who want to do the same thing in the same department in the future.
You may start at a level below your expectations of working at home only in special circumstances, such as in bad weather. However, if this is the case, you should negotiate immediately.
For example, you may ask to work from home when it is snowing, or on days when you just don’t feel like driving to work.
With that in mind, it’s better to lower the hurdle a little than to be unable to work at home at all.
If you can take the time to prove that you can demonstrate sufficient productivity and reliability without being watched by your boss – even if it is not a special circumstance – it will not be too much trouble to ask for more.
Your boss already knows that you can be trusted and you established a trusted relationship.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE?
One of the concerns of bosses about their subordinates working from home is the inability to communicate effectively.
Addressing the question yourself before your boss makes that concern can help to lower the obstacle to convincing your boss. Make sure you clearly outline how you will stay in contact and how your manager will be able to reach out to you and even monitor so.
When you make a suggestion come up with a solution that allows your boss to do so without extra work on his part, Otherwise he may simply not allow you to work remotely since it means more work for him to supervise you.
To resolve these concerns, you should consult with your boss in advance and actually change your telecommuting plan.
GET IN TOUCH AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF WORK
You can satisfy your boss by reporting on the phone what happened during the day and what you did in the day.
This will show your boss that you are staying on top of things and actually working hard when you are in your home office.
COMMUNICATE USING VIDEO CHAT:
You can use Google Hangouts, Skype, or send a short IM (instant message) to allow your manager to check your work status and it won’t take long.
With video chat, it’s easy to prove that you’re not oversleeping and that you’re not messing around and watching TV all when you are supposed to work.
Being in touch quickly is also a weapon that makes it easier for your boss and other employees in the company to accept that you are the only one working at home.
In addition, this also leads to reliability in telecommuting itself. Unfortunately, many offices still don’t recognize you as working unless you’re at your office desk. But in itself, it is the number one obstacle to telecommuting.
USE YOUR TIME AT HOME MEANINGFULLY
Needless to say, the best way to get permission to work from home is to do a great job when you work at home. Instead of spending time commuting, you can use your original commuting time to check your email during the day.
Or start work earlier than usual.
Since you don’t have to commute back home in the evening, you can use that time to report your day’s achievements to your boss.
However, be careful. Having someone working away from the office can affect the productivity of the team of colleagues, who normally commute to work.
Working at home may be comfortable for you, but for other employees, it’s harder to ask quick questions about the job you’re in charge of, or to ask for advice. This especially true if you have experience in your field and others need your know-how.
Perhaps you begin with working out from any office once weekly or observe how it goes for the complete week or 2 until the boss gets their final choice.
This trial period can be an opportunity for you and also your manager to determine which works and what will not work whenever you are not at any workplace, and it’s the opportunity for one to exercise some kinks.
Going out of being at work everyday (or even the majority of the time ) to scarcely ever seeing your co-workers is a significant shift.
Even though I am a major supporter of this lifestyle, your boss might not be aboard 100%.
However, if you are respectful and thorough, you could just receive the solution you are searching for.