How to Ask Your Boss to Work Remotely

Employment quickly transitioned from offices to homes in 2020 as the pandemic forced many companies to allow their employees to work remotely. We’re seeing a 200% increase in remote work since Covid-19.

So if you’re one of the many people who enjoyed working from home and would like to continue doing so, you may be wondering how to ask your boss to work remotely.

A lot of reasons contribute to this. Maybe you're in a company asking you to move back to the office, but you don't feel comfortable doing so yet. Or maybe you've been remote since the pandemic started and prefer it that way.

Whatever your reasons are, you must take effective steps to make your case to your boss.

In case you’re ready to risk everything by going the extra mile to even quit and find a job that lets you work remotely, then there are more fierce steps to take when your employer is returning to the office.

For people looking to work remotely under the same employer, these steps will suffice.

Make Sure You’re a Good Performer

It’s easier for employers to make a decision that favors you if you’re a valuable asset to the company. If you have a good track record with your employer, they’ll be more likely to want to keep you around.

On the other hand, if you think you haven’t been performing well, it’s better to wait some time to improve yourself and create a better impression before asking to work remotely.

Making yourself a favorable candidate is the first step on the ladder. You can do this by being proactive and going the extra mile at work. For example, if you know a project is coming up, offer to lead it or put in extra hours to get it done ahead of schedule.

Be vocal about your successes and make sure your boss is aware of them. You should also document your accomplishments in case your employer needs a reminder later on.

Explain Why or How it Can Benefit the Company

The next step is to explain the benefits that will follow the company by allowing you to work remotely. There are a lot of benefits, statistics, and facts that can prove the benefit of remote work. Here are a few:

Remote Workers Are Less Distracted

This is a debatable benefit, but it’s a fact that remote workers are less distracted. They essentially don't have to deal with bugging coworkers and managers.

While some might argue that the environment of remote workers is easily distracting, like their home, café, or coworker's house, it can also be argued that these places have fewer distractions than an office.

In an office, there are always people walking around, talking, and phones ringing. You can get easily distracted even if you're focused on your work. On the other hand, at home, you hold the ability to create an environment where you can minimize distractions and be more productive.

Remote Workers Can Get More Work Done

This is not a much debatable factor. It is proven that remote workers get more work done than office-based workers. Studies show that people working remotely at least some of the time have been 9% more efficient than those who work in an office.

This is mainly because remote workers have more control over their environment and can better manage their time. Remote work offers a myriad of beneficial possibilities, including how remote workers are not wasting time commuting, taking breaks whenever they want, and working during the hours when they're most productive.

If they need to make a lot of phone calls, they can do it during the day when they're more likely to reach people. Or if they need to do a lot of writing, they can do it at night when they're more creative.

Working Remote Will Save Time and Money for the Company

Remote employment can save time and money for companies in a lot of ways. For instance, a company won't have to provide you with a workspace, computer, or office supplies. And they won't have to pay for your commuting costs.

In addition, remote work can lead to less turnover because employees are happier and less likely to quit. So, it can save the company money on training new employees.

By Avoiding the Commute, You Can Be Available to Your Employer on Time, if Not Early

One of the most attractive benefits to the company is the ability of remote workers to be available to work earlier, or at least on time.

If you have a 9-5 job, that means you have to wake up early, get ready, and commute to work. The [average commute time in the U.S. is 27.6 minutes each way](https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/one-way-travel-time-to-work-rises.html#:~:text=Highlights from the report include,about 10%25 over 14 years.). That's around an hour a day!

So, if you're working remotely, you can avoid the commute and be available to start working on time. This helps to maintain the company decorum, and you won't have to use up your paid time off (PTO) or sick days just because you're running late!

Suggest a Trial

The final step on the ladder of asking your boss to work remotely is suggesting a trial. What this means is that you can suggest your boss to have a trial in place that lets you work remotely for a week or two to observe your performance.

For you, the goal of this trial should be to prove how remote work brings in progress while your manager should observe and record this progress to come up with the right decision.

You should also see this trial as an opportunity to prove the mentioned benefits to the company. If you manage to deliver great results and your company sees remote work in a good light, then it might just become a regular thing.

Conclusion

In the end, it all comes down to how you frame remote work when asking your boss. If you can clearly show how remote work is beneficial for both you and the company, then you're more likely to get approval.

Of course, there are other factors that come into play, such as the company's remote work policy and the nature of the job. But if you can make a strong case for why remote work would be a good fit, you'll increase your chances of getting to work from anywhere you want to.

With this article on how to ask your boss to work remotely, we hope you're now better equipped to make your request. Remote work is a great way to boost productivity and improve work-life balance. So, if you can make it work for you and your company, there's no reason not to give it a try!

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