The email arrived this morning. Your employer expects all employees to return on-site by July 1. You hate what this means — commuting 30 minutes to a cubicle, trading spontaneous walk with your dogs for office gossip and a formal lunch hour, and dressing in something other than sweats.
If you love working remotely and want to remain off-site, you need to convince your employer that teleworking benefits them. Here’s how.
Show them the research
According to the Feb. 9 Remote Collaborative Worker Survey conducted by ConnectSolutions, 77 percent of the employees who work remotely at least several times a month reported greater productivity while working off-site, with 30 percent stating that they accomplished more in less time, and another 24 percent stating that they accomplished more in the same amount of time. Standford’s nine-month study of 16,000 remote employees reported home workers were 13 percent more productive due to a more convenient and quiet working environment and fewer breaks and sick days.
[Related: The pandemic changed employees: Can managers adapt?]
According to U.S. News & World Report, teleworking employees “log five to seven more hours per week than non-telecommuters, often working even when they’re sick or on vacation.” The ConnectSolutions research corroborates this, noting that 23 percent of teleworkers work longer hours from home than they would normally work onsite to accomplish more. The research-based consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics reports AT&T discovered its remote employees worked five more hours weekly than did its on-site employees.
The Remote Collaborative Worker Survey’s authors report remote employees tend to be less stressed and happier and are motivated to work harder and more efficiently to protect their ability to work remotely. Global Workplace Analytics researchers add that 95 percent of employers report that telework positively impacts employee retention. The Standford survey corroborates with research showing that employers providing remote work options cut their attrition rates by 50 percent.
Answer the “why you” question
Your job duties and productivity while working remotely form the second, crucial part of your case. Can your job duties be effectively accomplished remotely? Does your work call for a distraction-free work environment that enables concentration? Does your job lend itself to online work? Have you mastered the technology necessary to integrate with your coworkers and employer seamlessly? Can you offer to come on-site for team or client meetings and for meetings with your manager?
What’s your track record? While working off-site, have you produced quality work equal to or better than you produced while on-site? Does your productivity substantiate the claim that you work well autonomously? Have you answered your manager’s calls, emails and texts whenever they came in during working hours and met all deadlines? Can your employer count on you to self-initiate new projects once you handle your core duties and to proactively collaborate with other employees? If so, you make a strong case.
What if your employer says ‘no’
If your employer insists you return on-site, you have three options. You can return to your employer’s workplace. Some jobs, particularly those requiring direct customer contact, require on-site work. You may discover you like working on-site with easy access to your manager, coworkers and office equipment.
You can negotiate for a hybrid schedule, returning on-site for part of the work week, while working off-site for the remainder. Many employers and employees have found this to be the best option.
Alternatively, you can look for an employer more comfortable with employees working remotely, and vote with your feet — out the door.