According to a recent report, 56% of employees who had to work remotely due to the pandemic would prefer to be in the office. But what about the remaining 44%?
If you fall into the latter group, consider asking your manager if you could continue to work remotely even once everyone has returned to the office. Here are some tips on how to gracefully, and hopefully successfully, ask to work from home.
1. Be certain you want to work remotely
Make sure working from home is something you really want before making your request.
Working remotely won’t feel the same once your colleagues are back in the office. Apart from missing out on the social aspect, the in-office crowd has to remember to loop you into meetings, decisions and impromptu conversations.
If you’re the only one who’s remote, you’ll likely be the driver in making sure this works.
If you have a family, you’re probably spending a lot more time with them these days. But once social distancing measures are loosened, your children will be back at school and your partner will likely be back at work, leaving you more alone than you are now.
2. Gather supporting evidence
Demonstrate that working remotely actually benefits your work and productivity. Be specific in supporting your argument – if something takes you an hour in the office but requires half an hour at home, provide this evidence.
Time yourself doing certain tasks and record metrics for important key performance indicators. Metrics speak for themselves.
3. Demonstrate you’re a good fit for remote culture
Show your manager that you know there’s more to remote-work culture than wearing pajamas every day. Clock in on time and be punctual when it comes to meetings.
Keep your status up to date. Most group chat applications allow you to set a status so your team knows you’re away from the computer, in a meeting, or otherwise busy. Otherwise, be ready to respond to incoming chats and calls.
Set up your home office for maximum productivity. Remove distractions, include things that motivate you, and perhaps even set up a second monitor. Then be sure you’re contactable during your work hours.
4. Anticipate questions
Expect pushback and come up with solutions ahead of time to questions your manager might ask, such as:
- How will you attend team meetings?
- How can the team reach you if they have questions?
- What will your schedule look like?
- How will I know you’re working?
- How will you stay connected to the team socially?
Here are a few things you could say:
- You’ll research the best apps for video conferencing to be sure you have a reliable tool for meetings.
- You’ll keep your status updated, set regular working hours, and be reachable during the stipulated times.
- You’ll set up regular meetings with your manager to set priorities and expectations.
- You’ll emphasise output so your manager knows you’re working even when they can’t see you.
5. Know what you’ll do if they say no
Be prepared for the possibility that your manager might say no. You might consider asking again later with new evidence or a new angle, but also know when your superior’s answer is concrete.
If the answer is no, you could just head back to the office. You could ask about working remotely some of the time. Or, if it’s a deal-breaker for you, you could start looking for remote jobs elsewhere.
Before you make the request to stay remote, make sure it’s the right time to ask. If your company hasn’t made any decisions about their work-from-home policies yet, it might not be appropriate to bring it up.
Once you’re ready to make the request, tell your manager you’d like to set up some time to talk about post-social-distancing work. If you’re prepared, you’ll be able to answer all their questions and make a strong case for working remotely.
This article first appeared in jobstore.com.
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