How to Negotiate Teleworking
Whether you call it teleworking, telecommuting or simply working from home, working off-site allows employees to work more efficiently and effectively without the need for commuting into the office.
This is particularly true for some roles that require uninterrupted concentration: a workplace with approach to flexible working conditions can bring out the best in their employees and boost employee moral.
On the world stage, we’ve seen that Canada lags behind its international counterparts when it comes to teleworking.
The problem? According to Robyn Bews in a recent Globe and Mail article, “People assume the word ‘telework’ means that you go home and you work in your bunny slippers five days a week and nobody sees you anymore”.
Considering it’s in the best interest of both employee and employer to facilitate a productive working from home arrangement, here are some tips for success:
- Put in your time: Wait 6 to 12 months with a company before pushing it. Your employers biggest concern is that you won’t be productive. First prove that you’re a valuable, hardworking asset to the company and that you can be trusted, then bring the topic of teleworking to the table.
- Know before you go: Read the company policy on flexible work arrangements, but don’t end your homework there. Find out if other people have flexible work arrangements, and if possible, talk to them about it.
- Choose timing wisely: Catch you boss in a good mood and present your request for flexible work arrangement as a win/win for you and the company. Employers seek solutions, not problems.
- If the answer is no, don’t lose heart: Quite often with personnel and policy change, what was once a set-in-stone anti-teleworking rule can be softened to suit specific situations. The important thing is that you've communicated your position.
Do you work from home occasionally? What are some of the benefits and draw backs that you’ve discovered?