7 Tips to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work From Home

Last Updated on September 21, 2022 by Career Reload Team

A lot of workers switched to work remotely when the Corona pandemic started. Restrictions are now being lifted, but some would like to continue the well-established remote working.

We’ve put together tips to reassure your employer that you can continue working remotely in the future – and still be as effective as any physically present colleague. Here are 7 tips to convince your boss that you can continue to work from home.

1. Keep track of your productivity

Do you feel more efficient when you get to work from home? Great! Now you just have to prove it.

Keep track of where your work time is spent and how your productivity has increased – or at least remained the same – while working remotely.

Be prepared to tell your employer, based on the numbers, how productive you’ve been while working remotely. For example, have you written more blog posts, made more sales calls, or completed more projects?

However, it is good to remember that the Corona pandemic has been a mentally stressful time and you may have not been able to deliver your best during this time. Your employer should also understand that working as usual during a crisis is a great achievement in itself, which is worth mentioning.

2. List your successes

In addition to productivity, it is good to highlight the potential successes while working remotely. List your successes and share more information about them.

These successes can even be a completed project, appreciative customer feedback, successful team leadership in a crisis, or the acquisition of new customers.

Tooting your own horn may seem embarrassing, but it’s also important for the future to be able to look in the rearview mirror and highlight your successes – it can also have a huge impact on motivation!

3. Be reachable

If your work community is still working remotely, you should now prove to be worthy of trust.

Even if you are not physically at work, it is important to be present. Respond promptly to messages, emails, and calls to show you are within easy reach.

A good way to give an engaged and present image of yourself while working remotely is also to use video for remote meetings.

4. Find out the practicalities

Even if working from home went smoothly during the pandemic, it is good to think realistically about whether it is possible to continue that way. Before you talk about continuing to work remotely, try answering the following questions:

• Was some of the attendance-intensive work put on break during the pandemic? If so, can you continue remotely to do this work in full or partly?
• How does collaboration with a team or co-workers work if others work in the office and you remotely? Is it possible that your transition to work remotely could cause a feeling of injustice in the workplace? If so, how are the conflicts resolved?
• Is working from home going to work in the long run? Do you already have an ergonomic workstation and adequate internet connection? If not, are you ready to invest in them?

5. Mention your desire to work remotely well in advance

Talk about the opportunity to resume remote work with your supervisor well in advance. If there are layoffs or other stressful situations in your workplace, you may want to postpone the discussion.

If instead, you happen to get around talking about your successes while working from home, you should remember to mention how great you have found remote working to be for you.

You can also briefly ask about the company’s general remote work policy for the future – this has probably at least crossed your employer’s mind.

6. Highlight the benefits of working remotely

When you open a conversation with your employer about continuing to work remotely, don’t start by telling all the ways you benefit from working remotely. Saving time on work commute, more time with family, or a smoother combination of hobby and work are all good reasons, but mostly benefit yourself.

Rather, focus on how you working remotely helps the employer: a saved commute allows you to start working days earlier, peace of mind makes you more profitable, and your spot at the office can be freed up for other employees.

Show flexibility and remind your employer that when needed, you are still physically ready to come in, even if you are primarily working remotely.

7. Suggest a compromise or test period

If your employer does not think working from home full-time is a viable solution, you can always offer a compromise. What if you could work three days a week at home and two in the office?

A good way to get your proposal through is to offer a test session. So you can suggest a test period where you could work entirely remotely for the next two months, after which you will go through the successes and challenges of the session together with your supervisor.

We already have a kind of a test period behind us, but during the new remote working trial period, you may find that working remotely isn’t as glamorous when others have returned to work. So during the test period, you can also test your thoughts.

Career Reload Team

We’re a team of writers dedicated to providing insights and tips for navigating the professional world. With a collective wealth of experience across various industries and roles, our team understands the challenges and opportunities that come with seeking meaningful work and advancing your career. We help job seekers to better their careers by offering career advice & free resources. Download free Word resume templates and resume templates for Google Docs.