How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work from Home

IBM, Amazon, Bluecross, oh my! It’s 2018, and businesses everywhere are ditching the cubicles and going remote.

Sending employees home to work virtually is a smart move for companies. The benefits include lower overhead, extended operation hours, and happier employees. It’s not a one way street, though. The benefits stack up big for the remote employees as well, such as:

Zero to little commute time (look at you saving the planet!)
A healthier, personalized office environment
Greater efficiency
Ability to work from anywhere with wifi

Despite the many benefits on both sides, there are still companies that have antiquated ideas about remote work. Some of these concerns include:

Not everyone is cut out for remote work
Work won’t get done if no one is watching
People need to be onsite for instant communication and collaboration
Communication will be difficult and feel chaotic
Employees must be present in order for the company to maintain control
The employees who must continue to work at the office may become resentful

While some of these beliefs are unfounded, others do bring up reasonable concerns.

If you’re ready to live the remote life and convince your boss to let you work from home, these concerns may pop up in your conversation and need to be addressed. Think about them from your superior’s perspective and come up with practical solutions.

Once the initial concerns are out of the way, make a list of the benefits that come from having virtual employees. (Lucky for you, there’s a lot!) Here are a few ideas to get you started:

It Saves Moo-lah!

Fewer butts in office chairs equal less office space and less equipment required. Fewer monitors, desks, chairs, paper, pens, phones, and printers add up to BIG savings. When employees go remote, overall building and office expenses plummet. This means more money for the company’s bottom line.

Show Off Some Software

Businesses are shifting toward remote work because it saves them cash, but there’s plenty of technology to support the move to virtual. If your boss isn’t familiar with these tools, introduce her! Some of the be tools out there include:

Zoom.us for conference meetings, recording conversations, video, whiteboard, and screen sharing
Google Docs for collaborative creation
Basecamp for team communication and project management
Trello for idea generation and task management
Slack for easy team communication and collaboration on the go.
Cloud storage like Dropbox for file access
Online fax for people still using fax machines
Secure remote server access with VPNs
Prove You’re Ambitious Enough to Handle It

Working from home means being a self starter. Prove that you can be trusted on your own with productivity tracking. Tell your boss to check out your track record of ambition and follow-through. Give him/her some real numbers and hard data so your record can speak for itself.

Do a Trial Run

Suggest a trial period to test the waters before you dive in all the way. Try working from home for a couple days a week. Prove your productivity on those days with definitive numbers. Give yourself some time to adapt to a new environment and figure out your workflow. When issues arise, work out the kinks and communicate your solutions with your boss. Test out your trial for at least a month or two so you have plenty of time to adjust.

Be Hella Responsive

Communication is one of the most common concerns of employers when it comes to remote work. Address this issue by being on top of everything. Don’t wait for your managers to reach out — be the first one to communicate and check in. Set up your emails so they come in on your phone and respond quickly. Schedule conference calls as needed and take initiative.

Agree to Be Sensitive to Other Employees

If you end up being one of a select few who are chosen to work from home, don’t be braggy about it! Go the extra mile and help with training program materials if you need to.

Good Luck!

Even if your boss has some hesitations about working virtually, it might be a great option for the both of you since there are benefits on both sides. However, the truth is that working from home isn’t necessarily for everyone. It’s important for both bosses and employees to stay open-minded to what is ultimately best for you and for the company. Being able to work out a compromise that makes you both happy is ideal.

Have you been successful in convincing your boss to allow you to work from home? Tell us about it in the comments!