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So I've been working at my current job for about 3 years. I didn't apply. A few executives were leaving my prior company and going to my current company. They wanted me to come along. I decided to take a shot. All has been pretty good but the commute is 2 hours each way driving and it is really taking it's toll on me. Mass transit would be a little longer. I guess I did look into the commute before I committed but traffic seems to be getting worse. I just can't keep doing this commute.
I'm thinking about asking the owner if I could work from home 3-4 days a week. My job function really does not require me to be there at all. My job does not require any interaction with others. In my industry and my job(estimator) not many, if any, who work for a company work from home but not sure that should have any impact on the decision. There are tons of estimating services that are located throughout the country that do work for companies which are located elsewhere so that goes to show how this job function can absolutely be done remotely.
Do you think this is an unreasonable request?
Any advice on how I should approach this?
So I've been working at my current job for about 3 years. I didn't apply. A few executives were leaving my prior company and going to my current company. They wanted me to come along. I decided to take a shot. All has been pretty good but the commute is 2 hours each way driving and it is really taking it's toll on me. Mass transit would be a little longer. I guess I did look into the commute before I committed but traffic seems to be getting worse. I just can't keep doing this commute.
I'm thinking about asking the owner if I could work from home 3-4 days a week. My job function really does not require me to be there at all. My job does not require any interaction with others. In my industry and my job(estimator) not many, if any, who work for a company work from home but not sure that should have any impact on the decision. There are tons of estimating services that are located throughout the country that do work for companies which are located elsewhere so that goes to show how this job function can absolutely be done remotely.
Do you think this is an unreasonable request?
Any advice on how I should approach this?
Thank you.
I think it is a reasonable request.
If you really can work from home, you should start doing it now by saying you need to work from home to let a workman into your home and supervisor him. See how that goes, and that there is no issues. If you do this and it was a success, then you can use this to build on working remotely.
Start off asking to work remotely and see how that goes. Most important, give your reasons of how you can do the job much more effectively working remote, and how it would save costs, and be prepared to address every concern. Do not talk about how this commute is killing you, because that doesn't help the argument. If asked if the commute is an issue, then tell them what it is like, but make sure you mention again how you can do this work remotely and in your industry people work remotely doing this work. Also say, if needed, you can come in for a meeting if needed or meet with clients (if needed) or attend corporate functions such as dept meetings and workshops.
Too often people come into an employer and ask for something like a raise explaining why they need more money to pay their bills, and that isn't the employer's concern. It is how this change can help the business.
1. Tell your employer you need to let an electrician or plumber into your house on a Monday and Tuesday, but you'll be working from home. Make sure that you are slightly more productive at home than you are in the office.
2. Go in on Wednesday and express your surprise that it was so much easier for you to be productive at home than it is to be in the office. Maybe it's because you didn't just sit in traffic for two hours prior to starting your day.
3. Ask your employer for a trial run where you work from home two days per week for one month. If they say no, ask what their concerns are. Address those concerns.
4. Once granted, slightly decrease your productivity in the office and increase your productivity while at home.
5. At the end of the month, bring the results to your boss. Since you are clearly more productive at home, push for a third day each week where you don't come into the office.
6. Repeat as needed until you are working 4-5 days per week from home.
I would never actively decrease my production in order to "trick" the boss into allowing you to work remotely. That's a recipe for disaster.
Come prepared with good reasons for working remotely. The biggest will be that you will be online and available for the entire day, rather than needing to be in your car for 4 hours out of the day, which limits your work time tremendously. Let them know that you have a dedicated space, away from everything for your home office and that you will do all the leg-work in order to make this happen.
One thing they might flinch at is security and/or access - will you need to VPN into the network? If they don't already have employees doing this that might be a sticking point. Try and come to the table with a solution to this before it becomes an issue.
Look elsewhere so you have leverage. Bring up WFH when you have a written offer on the table. So if they say No, you can tell them to go kick rocks
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