# Making a case for teleworking...



## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

So I currently have one day a week of approved telework...but would like to increase it to three (Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.) Thus just commuting into the office for two days per week...

What should I put in my email to the manager...

ONe of the things I put is that I will, at my own cost, update our home printer, I want a laser one instead of a the inkjet one we currently have...I am okay with that because then we own it outright not my work so even the output of cash onmy end is fine with me.

My work is the one that changed my work location from a two minute commute to a 30 minute commute in good weather..


What else would you add?


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## jb02157 (Apr 16, 2014)

I wouldn't put something like this in writing. Ask your boss to feel out what he thinks about this. Putting in writing could be used against you, that you're having problems with your job since you don't like the commute. Seriously, I've seen people get fired for things like this.


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## Andy1001 (Jun 29, 2016)

How do you get on on a personal level with your boss.Is he an approachable sort of person or does he keep employees at arms length.If he is approachable then I would request a private chat and ask him how he would feel about this.If he is more formal I would try the written approach.If he is downright rude then either way may work.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

What value would you bring to your company by working from home?

Would you save them money? 
Would you be available more during non-traditional work hours.

In the last few years before I retired, I worked from home 3 days a week. And some weeks more. I had to provide my company with a written justification. In that company just about everyone did this so it was not held against anyone.

My reasons were:

1. To enable me to work more over time for the company. (I was salaried so overtime as unpaid.)

2. I worked with a international team so I had to be available at odd hours to meetings with the teams in Europe and Asia.

Does anyone else in your company telecommute?


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## badsanta (Oct 13, 2014)

EleGirl said:


> My reasons were:
> 
> 1. To enable me to work more over time for the company. (I was salaried so overtime as unpaid.)
> 
> ...



Yes, if you work with international teams, telecommuting has tremendous advantages. But I'll warn you this can feel like you are "always at work and never home" in the event you are on call 24/7 for ongoing projects. Also employers tend to underestimate the administrative efforts needed to complete many international projects. In an office, things happen fast, but with remote international teams, it can feel more like trying to complete an ambiguous chore to remotely fix that "thing" over at your grandma's house that isn't working the way it should. Then these international teams will always report into your boss saying only what he wants to hear instead of communicating what he needs to hear. Then the reason projects are delayed get a finger pointed at you, because the office has not had full visibility on the realistic struggles of the project. 

Good luck!


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## jb02157 (Apr 16, 2014)

EleGirl said:


> What value would you bring to your company by working from home?
> 
> Would you save them money?
> Would you be available more during non-traditional work hours.
> ...


I would be really careful about this though. Some companies really don't like the overuse of working from home and only offer it as much as they do because they feel they have to. They want you on-site usually. If they let you do it twice per week, I definitely wouldn't press your luck.


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## uhtred (Jun 22, 2016)

Make sure your boss can tell that you are productive when you are at home.


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## VermisciousKnid (Dec 27, 2011)

highwood said:


> So I currently have one day a week of approved telework...but would like to increase it to three (Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.) Thus just commuting into the office for two days per week...
> 
> What should I put in my email to the manager...
> 
> ...


Many people would be thrilled with ONLY a 30 minute commute. 

But as other people mentioned you have to understand the climate at your company. Is there a precedent or are you breaking new ground?

Maybe you should suggest a trial period to see how it works. At the end of it raise the issues encountered because of it and the problems solved because of it. 

If you do a daily status report of what you accomplish that could provide reassurance to a hesitant manager. 

Maybe if you are available to Skype it would help. Or to use gotomeeting for group meetings.


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## jb02157 (Apr 16, 2014)

uhtred said:


> Make sure your boss can tell that you are productive when you are at home.


This is VERY important


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## john117 (May 20, 2013)

Also give your boss a fairly detailed location, facilities, connectivity, etc. And go 2 days a week from 1. Hopefully no kids or pets.

Also have ready a list of what tasks you can and can't do at home. About a third of what I do can be done at home, the rest can't.


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## Chris Taylor (Jul 22, 2010)

Will he have to give EVERYONE telework privileges whose commute is 30+ minutes?


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## uhtred (Jun 22, 2016)

Also, please don't take it badly if he says no. I have one employee who has a 2 hour commute and who has a long record of excellent work. When word got out, I have other employees now asking for the same. Its really akward to say "sorry, I made an exception for Fred because he is totally awsome, and well, you aren't". (OK, I wouldn't phrase it like that, but you can see the difficulty: Its possible fro someon to be a good employee, but not really appropriate for special treatment.


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## kag123 (Feb 6, 2012)

Man, I would give a lot to have a 30 minute commute! Mine is 1.5 hrs one way, and that is pretty typical of my area. 

I'm also a manager of a good sized team, so I can understand the situation from both sides...the employee wanting the flexibility and the boss who has to make sure the work gets done. 

First, I wouldn't have this conversation over email. I would do it in person. Schedule a meeting with your boss if they are normally very busy to make sure you have his undecided attention. Come prepared to talk about why you are making the request and how it would benefit the company. 

I try to maintain open communication with all of my employees and I am receptive to hearing their ideas and trying to be flexible. BUT, I cannot stand when someone comes at me with a very self-centered view when they are asking for a favor. "I want to increase working from home because I hate my commute" Doesn't everyone hate their commute? What I would rather hear is "I've been successfully working from home one day per week for X amount of time, I'd like to request that we increase it to X days per week. I find that I am more productive working from home and can increase my work output. I will be available from this time to this time each day I am working remotely, and will send my work in by this time each day". Focus on your past performance and talk about how your move would benefit the company.


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## VermisciousKnid (Dec 27, 2011)

My wife's company is fairly relaxed when it comes to "working from home". She does it quite often but she's actually working. There's another employee who sends a couple of emails during the day but is otherwise unreachable. The employees who come to the office every day think "work from home" is a joke. 

So when my wife works from home she's in constant contact with her manager and co-workers. More than a few times people have gone to her office to talk to her because she was so present they assumed she was in the office. She really has to be pro-active to counteract the perception that work from home is a slacker thing.


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