How to Negotiate Working From Home With a Boss

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Most people dream about working from home: there’s no commute, you can work in your pajama pants, and you don’t have to see that annoying colleague in the next cubicle every day. Some bosses aren’t keen on the idea of their employees having complete autonomy, however. But with some careful thought and preparation, you’ll have a better shot at enjoying coffee in your pajamas every morning.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Computer
Dedicated phone line
Fax machine

Step1

Evaluate your job. There are some jobs that naturally lend themselves to working from home: website designers or graphic artists, for example. But if your job requires face-to-face meetings with clients or tools only available at your job site, you may not be in the right profession to work from home and nothing you can say will convince your boss otherwise.

Step2

Put together a proposal. Before you even schedule a meeting to discuss this possibility with your boss, make sure you’ve outlined a comprehensive plan for working from home. In it, list when you’ll be working (your typical hours—or even longer—is best), how you’ll communicate with the boss, how you’ll deliver your work, and how your boss will be able to measure the quality and quantity of your work. Anticipate her questions and objections and then answer them in your proposal.

Step3

Offer proof of childcare if applicable. The number one reason bosses object to an employee working from home is because they’re afraid the employee will be less productive. If you have young kids at home, it’s not an unrealistic fear, so address that concern before she even brings it up by showing her proof that your children will still be in daycare full-time.

Step4

Consider using your own supplies. It can go a long way toward softening your boss if you tell her that you’ll use your own computer at home, your own dedicated phone line, and even your own fax machine.

Step5

Schedule some face time with the boss. With you being out of site, you may be more on your boss’ mind than usual. Negotiate with your boss one day a week (or one afternoon or whatever will make him happy) when you’ll come into the office for staff meetings. Make sure he knows you’re still available whenever needed.

Tips & Warnings

Sweeten the pot for your boss by offering to take a slight pay cut. You’ll be saving money on your work wardrobe, lunches out, and the cost of commuting. So even if you take a 5 or 10 percent cut, you’ll probably still be gaining a few dollars. And nothing makes a boss sit up and take notice like dollars flowing back into the business.
Offer to participate in a trial arrangement. If she’s on the verge of saying yes but needs a slight nudge, offer to implement the work-from-home arrangement for three months. Then the two of you can sit down again and discuss how things are going and whether she has any concerns.