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While COVID is likely to stick around for a long time to come, we now have it somewhat under control with vaccines and wearing masks.
That means – as soon as soon businesses get the official go-ahead – they’ll be calling all staff back to work in office. And soon, we’ll be back to living our regular ol’ pre-pandemic lives before we know it.
But what if you don’t want to? What if you’re one of the millions of workers worldwide who actually thrived working from home and achieved that work/life balance you always dreamed about?
How do you get your employer to see that and let you continue living the life that both you and them for the better? Take these steps to greatly improve the chances of your boss saying yes to your proposal.
Document your wins
The most important thing your boss wants is to know that you are as productive, or better, when you work from home. The best way to demonstrate this is to show evidence of improved performance over the past year.
Along with the hard numbers that show concrete growth, be sure to include the not-so-obvious achievements – such as using the extra time you’ve had to learn new things and/or mentor other staff.
Get other team members on board
There’s power in numbers. The more employees that want a work-from-home arrangement, the more likely your boss will be to consider it. Start the conversation with your team members to see what their thoughts are, and if they are aligned, come together and create a joint proposal you can pitch in tandem.
Present your case as soon as possible
Don’t let your boss get comfortable with having staff back at work before you make your case. In fact, your boss may not even realize that you and your team members want such an arrangement if you don’t bring it up. So as soon as you’ve prepared, start the conversation.
Be flexible with your offer
Is working from home worth giving up some paid time off, childcare benefits or other perk of the job? Are you still willing to come in, as needed, for team meetings and special events? Let your boss know! Showing that you’re willing to trade and accommodate any necessary changes will go a long way in convincing your boss that you’re still a team player.
Consider a hybrid solution
Don’t hate us for saying it but – some offices do function better when everyone is on site. Therefore, if your boss refuses to go with your plan because they believe the team needs to be in office to work best, consider proposing an alternative hybrid solution of working in office 2-3 days a week, and working-from-home the rest.
This way, you can arrange your schedule to handle meetings and group-related tasks in office, and do your best focus-work at home.
If all else fails, request a temporary trial
If your boss is still on the fence and concerned that such an arrangement won’t work, ask them to consider a temporary trial.
Together, set measurable goals for a 3-month work-from-home trial period. If after that period you’ve shown that you can accomplish these goals and everything flows smoothly, you can make it long-term. And if not, you go back to office, no questions asked. Sure, it’s risky, but if you’re confident in your ability to work better from home, it’s a no-brainer.
Don’t limit yourself to your current job
At the end of the day, your boss might have very valid reasons for needing you in office, even if you’re not an essential worker or in a customer-facing job.
However, you have your reasons for wanting to work remotely as well. So if that’s what you really want and you can’t get it with your current employer, it may be time to start looking into remote jobs. And with the job market now picking up, there’s no better time to start hunting.
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