It can feel a little intimidating to ask your employer about remote working. However, there are some tips to help make this request a little less stressful and increase the likelihood of them agreeing.
- Performance
From an employer’s perspective, the thought of having an employee remoter work is a huge risk; this is due to the fact there is a lower level of accountability for a remote worker. Remote working is a lot more flexible, and therefore employers can worry that employees will not get as much work done and so will not be performing. One way to combat this is to establish yourself as a very hard worker with an exemplary record that speaks for itself. If you can prove just how hardworking you really are, you can argue that you would be hardworking from home.
- Benefits
Many people make the mistake of simply stating how remote working will benefit themselves and highlight the values to the company of you working from home instead of simply about you. Focussing on the benefits to the company is more likely to make your boss agree to remote working as at the end of the day they are a business and want what’s most beneficial to them. Employers, of course, will focus on what is good for you also, but the business is their main priority. Hence, highlighting benefits to them is a better idea than focussing solely on benefits to yourself.
- Test
One way to get around a boss that isn’t keen on the idea of you working remotely is to suggest a test run. This is a great compromise as your employer does not have to commit to full time but instead will agree to a test where you can showcase the benefits of your remote working. This option is a lot better than simply asking for a long-term commitment as it gives them a chance to see how good your work output can be and is your opportunity to sell the idea to them.
- Flexibility
You mustn’t simply expect the company to accommodate you and do nothing in return. An employer is less likely to agree to be flexible for you if you haven’t in the past and don’t be flexible for the company. If you show that you can be flexible for the company, the company is more likely to return the favor; it is a two-way street.
- Feedback
If your employer says no to remote working, you must find out why. Whether it is for economic reasons such as providing equipment or other factors, you must find out why your request was rejected and see what you can do to rectify this and turn the no into a yes moving forward.
