Working from home can be rewarding and liberating – but you’ll need to convince your boss to let you make the switch. Here’s how…
We’d all love to work from home at some point – whether it’s just a day so you can let in the boiler repair man, or for longer periods to improve your work/life balance.But wanting it and having it happen are two different things. One of the main hurdles to working from home is convincing your boss to let you.
Here are a few tips to get you on your way…
1. Be honest
If you’ve got an ulterior motive for working from home, then be honest about it – but just make sure it’s a good one. This doesn’t include reasons like not wanting to get dressed, finishing early or being hungover.
If you want to spend more time with your family, feel the commute is too long, or need to escape the constant interruptions of the office, let your boss or line manager know – these are all valid reasons.
2. Get yourself set up
You’ve got to be a bit proactive about working from home. This means getting your home office set up.
From a separate monitor to a proper office chair and desk, investing in these shows your boss you’re serious about it and that you have a suitable space to work from.
And if your boss doesn’t let you work from home, then at least you’ve finally got that home office you always wanted.
3. Prove your productivity
Ask your boss for a trial period to show you can be just as productive working from home.
Whether it’s a day or a full week, make sure you work as you would if it was a full-time set up. This means not working yourself into the ground to prove how much more productive you are, as you won’t be able to keep up this level in the long term.
And if they need more proof, there are endless studies showing home workers in general are more productive – and happier – than their office-based counterparts.
4. Show them the time savings
Not only will you be more productive working from home but you’ll also be saving time. Commuting to and from work can take up valuable hours of a day.
While this isn’t classed as working time, you can show to your boss that by using these freed up hours to spend more time with your family, you’ll be more focussed on the work when you need to do it.
5. And the costs savings
Of course, the best way to a boss’s heart is through their wallet.
If you’re planning to work from home full time, you can show them how much money they’ll save thanks to having to provide less office space and general office equipment.
Posted by The Secret Businessman