The pandemic changed a lot for workers, including where they work, writes recruitment firm Glassdoor.<\/p>\n
A study conducted early in the outbreak showed nearly one-third of US workers were working from their homes \u2014 and presumably, some of those workers won\u2019t want to return to the office when their employers call them back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking from home can provide employees many benefits,\u201d said Ray Luther, executive director of the Partnership for Coaching Excellence and Personal Leadership at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, \u201cincluding a much shorter commute time, fewer distractions, and a sense of freedom, that might not come from reporting to an office every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
But negotiating a permanent work-from-home arrangement may not be a slam-dunk.<\/p>\n
Employers have \u201ctraditionally worried about employee productivity when working from home,\u201d Luther said, adding some managers may feel they\u2019ll lose control of employees they can\u2019t see in person.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not impossible, though. \u201cEmployees who want to make working from home permanent would be wise to put themselves in their employers\u2019 shoes,\u201d Luther said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would my employer be concerned about, and how can I show them that those concerns are minimal risks?<\/p>\n
For most employees, if you can demonstrate high-productivity, accessibility, and still build productive relationships on your work teams, you will have addressed most managers\u2019 significant concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n
Glassdoor<\/a> provides a blueprint of exactly how you can negotiate a permanent work-from-home arrangement.<\/p>\n Demonstrate your productivity<\/strong><\/p>\n To be allowed to continue to work from home, employers will want proof you\u2019re as productive at home as you are in an office. \u201cQuantify and qualify the work you\u2019ve accomplished on a work-from-home trial or mandate,\u201d said Luther.<\/p>\n \u201cHow productive have you been on your own? How have you worked with co-workers to learn through the new office systems? Where have you helped develop solutions to the challenges that work from home has potentially caused?\u201d You\u2019ll need concrete answers to those questions to convince your manager you can be trusted at home.<\/p>\n Come prepared with proof of your productivity \u2014 and kick off your negotiation with hard facts.<\/p>\n Prepare an action plan<\/strong><\/p>\n While you\u2019ve already been working from home, you and your manager may not have collected hard evidence of your ability to do so successfully.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s the case, Maureen Farmer, founder and CEO of Westgate Executive Branding & Career Consulting, suggests you develop an action plan that will help your manager assess your ability to work from home over a trial period.<\/p>\n Talk to your manager about what milestones he or she would like you to reach during the trial \u2014 for example, 90 days \u2014 and agree to check-ins during that time to see if you\u2019re on track.<\/p>\n \u201cThe offer of work-from-home must demonstrate value and benefit to the employer foremost,\u201d Farmer said.<\/p>\n Build trust<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOnce you\u2019ve demonstrated you can be productive, show that your employer can trust you,\u201d said Luther, who adds that most managers\u2019 concerns about employees working from home are rooted in a lack of trust.<\/p>\n \u201cHow does the employer know they can trust you, and what have you done to demonstrate that trust? Are you accessible when they need you?\u201d Luther asks.<\/p>\n \u201cBe prepared to make the case for why they can trust you to deliver even if they can\u2019t see you in the office.\u201d<\/p>\n One way you might demonstrate your trustworthiness is by proposing a communication plan in your negotiation, said Farmer.<\/p>\n Such a plan would \u201clay out the periodic and regular touchpoints with each of [your] colleagues to ensure projects remain on task,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe communication plan will offer a guarantee that [you] will be available on-demand throughout the day by phone, email, text or message service. The employee must reassure the manager of their availability.\u201d<\/p>\n Show you\u2019re flexible<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s important during the negotiation to \u201clisten to your employer\u2019s concerns about working from home and seek to understand any objections,\u201d said Luther.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile these concerns might not be as important to you, they provide clues where you could show flexibility to it doesn\u2019t turn into an all or nothing situation.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, perhaps your manager would be more comfortable if you came into the office one day a week or for critical team meetings. \u201cWorking from home can provide many benefits for employees, even if it\u2019s only four out of five days per week,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n
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