How not to negotiate with your boss!
With the daily commute becoming more of a bind and the flexibility of online communication becoming easier to set in place, the ability to work from home is a very attractive and realistic option for a large part of the workforce.
However, for many people, there is still one hurdle to get over – the boss!
Most bosses like to have their staff on the premises so they can keep an eye on their performance and to make sure they are available for urgent meetings or to tend to other issues that may occur during the working day.
But if you know you could do your job just as well, or even better if you were working from home; what can you say to your boss to convince him/her to agree to your request?
PREPARE FOR THE MEETING
There will be a lot riding on the meeting you will have with your boss to discuss your preference for working from home.
It is imperative you prepare yourself in the same way you would for any other important meeting. You should be relaxed, focused and ready to answer any questions that may be fired at you.
What your boss is likely to care about more than anything else is the benefits to the business, both in terms of functionality and finance. Give this very careful consideration and make a list in order of importance/relevance.
- Will the business be able to save money if you or any of your colleagues are working from home?
- Could the business employ more staff without having to relocate?
- Could there be savings due to reduced power use?
- Would less computer hardware be required?
Your boss is likely to leave you to do the talking. Starting with the benefits to the business will help to put your boss in the right frame of mind to hear more about, and be more sympathetic to, the reasons why you want to work from home and how the logistics of doing so will be put in place.
After speaking about the benefits to the business, talk about the logistics of how it is going to work. This may not always be as easy as you first think. Consider your daily tasks and how you would do those tasks if you were working from home.
For some people a broadband connection and laptop may be all that is required; other people may have to log into a workplace specific network. If you fall into the latter category then you should thoroughly research the logistics of connecting to the network. Security is likely to be the major issue here.
There are a few options to connect to a workplace network from a remote location : Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS), VPN (Virtual Private Network) or dedicated software. For each of these options there are cost implications which will have to be considered.
Speak to the IT department or to your broadband provider to see if they can help. Being able to talk about the logistics of working from home will help instil into your boss how seriously you are taking the request.
If you feel as though you are getting somewhere with your boss and the cost factor is a stumbling block, it could be worth suggesting you are prepared to meet him/her half way. Even if your boss rejects the offer of remuneration it will again show how serious you are.
REAL WORLD EXAMPLES
Being able to talk about examples of situations where an employee has set up a home office and successfully made the transition without detriment to the business will benefit your request. Is there anybody else working this way for your company? Are there any examples online you could cite?
For a lot of employers making this type of decision for the first time is quite daunting. They have to consider the effect on other members of staff; how many more requests are they likely to receive once the first has been approved? What kind of guidelines will they have to put in place for future requests? Think this through and come up with some suggestions. It will once again show how seriously you have thought about and researched working from home.
BE FLEXIBLE
You are much more likely to be successful with your request if you suggest a trial period with set goals, or you suggest you work from home for 2 or 3 days a week to begin with. This will help both parties to come to terms with the new arrangement and to see if it is a workable option.
Good luck with your negotiations.
Have you made the transition to working from home? Do you have any other suggestions for people who would like to make the move?
Please share them in the comments area.