5 Ways To Talk To Your Employer About Working From Home

You may not be ready to go back to the office. Here are some ways to talk about that.

Society has been through a lot of changes lately.

Most of what we’ve all had to deal with during this pandemic we could actually have done without. But it would also be unfair to say we haven’t learned a few valuable things as well.

Near the top of that list would be how we look at work — specifically, working from home.

We’re still waiting for the dust to settle on what “experts” consider WFH’s successes or failures. Just the same, it’s pretty plain by now that while working-from-home was not ideal for everybody, it actually led to higher productivity, less stress, less expense, and greater job satisfaction for many others.

Vaccinations and infection reduction in some parts of the country have meant that workers are returning to the office. But there are still risks, and the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over.

For various reasons, there is still a considerable contingent of workers who would like to continue working from home or, at the very least, engage in the hybrid model. With those people in mind, we look at five things to do to prepare an argument for continuing to work from home.

Research the In-house Issues

Look into what health precautions your business is taking to ensure employees are safe while working at the office. Do they seem sufficient? Are they compliant with local or federal regulations? In what areas of the business do the higher-ups seem to be having trouble?

It’s difficult (and, at times, unethical) to bring the health of other employees into the discussion, but it’s a fair concern just the same. Have there been any COVID-19 infections in your workplace within the past few months? What conditions have changed since then?

Try to understand as much as you can about the business’s health policies before meeting with your supervisor, boss, or human resources department. Share your concerns and make sure they’re aware of how serious these are to you. You may have an immuno-compromised person living at home with you or have an underlying health risk of your own. These are not to be dismissed lightly. If working from home will keep you and your loved ones safer, express that to your employers.

Look Back At Your Productivity Record

How well have you been doing while working from home? Have you hit all your deadlines, or have you missed some? Has your quality of work been on track, or is there a notable lacking? Has anyone in management had to speak with you about your output?

Go back a few months and analyze your work both in terms of productivity and quality. Show how reliable you are while working from home and show your data. If you’ve been working well with little-to-no problems, you can set up a solid argument to continue working from home.

Assure Management That You Will Continue To Be a Team Player

This is essential to remember.

If you’re going to work from home, you have to be available throughout the entirety of your regular work hours.

To be brutally honest, many jobs can be done in half the time when working quietly at home. Just because you finished 8 hours of work in 4 hours doesn’t mean you can leave in the middle of the day to go grocery shopping or to the movies. If something comes up that needs immediate addressing, your coworkers and employers need to believe that you will not only be on hand but also capable of taking care of whatever issue has arisen.

If someone contacts you, pick up the call. If they send a message, get back to them as soon as possible. Your coworkers deserve to have you as responsive from home as you would if you were in the office physically.

Show You Can Be Flexible

There will be times when you will simply have to come in. It might be for an important demonstration or team meeting in which a video call is not sufficient. You may need to address some hardware issues that can’t be handled remotely.

Whatever the reason, don’t be stubborn and insist that because you’re being allowed to work from home that it means you will never be expected to come into the physical office at all.

Be flexible and accommodating when appropriate. This will make everyone’s life easier and improve your chances of working from home for a longer period.

Keep in mind that you’re all working toward the same goals.

Be Honest About Your Concerns

There is nothing selfish about looking after your health and the health of those around you. If you have a health condition, be prepared to talk about it. In some cases, you may have to show proof. It’s not illegal for employers to ask about this. They just can’t share that information outside of HIPAA regulations.

Even if you don’t have an underlying condition or live with someone who does, you can still be concerned about COVID-19 infections. Mask and vaccine policies have done a lot to reduce the risk of transmission, but nothing is truly perfect, and there are too many people finding ways around these policies and putting others at risk.

You don’t need to put up with that.

Make your concerns known. Don’t let an employer dismiss those concerns. Even in the United States, workers have some protections when it comes to health and safety.

At the same time, don’t overstate your health concerns if your reasons for working from home aren’t based on COVID-19. That’s not fair to those employees for whom it’s a real issue.

Be honest in your talks with your employer.

Bonus Tip

Don’t get suckered into thinking you have to trade away any benefits because you’re working from home. Things like vacation time, sick days, cost-of-living wage increases, and a full-time schedule are all still hard-earned benefits. Working from home doesn’t mean you’re worth any less.

If you aren’t costing the company time and money, they shouldn’t be doing the same to you.

Changing the Way We Look At Work

It may go easy. It may not. Some employers are happy to have employees and are willing to be accommodating. Others feel threatened by more employee autonomy and are digging their heels to go back to the old ways.

Even if you can’t manage to be fully remote, a hybrid arrangement is still an option that could benefit both you and your employer. By pointing out the advantages of giving you more freedom in deciding where you work, you may convince the higher-ups that everyone could benefit from similar arrangements.

We’re in the midst of a worker revolution of sorts. Let’s see if we can’t make the standard for work a better one for all.

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2