Score One for the Home Office: Navigating Resistant Bosses
Increased number of remote work days granted for employees.
Fed up with the traditional nine-to-five office grind? You're not alone. But not every boss is eager to open the floodgates to more home office days. Here's how to elevate your convincing game and seal the deal with your reluctant boss.
Nailing the Negotiation
When pushing for more home office opportunities, keep your pitch task-focused. Dispel your boss's apprehensions regarding productivity, such as employees being less productive at home. Agreeing on specific goals that you, the employee, must achieve within a specified time frame can help quell doubts.
Home Office Advantages to Highlight for Skeptical Bosses:
- Elevated Productivity: Business coach Ute Gietzen-Wieland points out that employees working from home can be significantly more productive, according to several studies. Working from home a few days a week might just be the juice your boss needs to boost company output.
- Time Savings: Instead of wasting time in traffic or public transportation, the extra time saved can be put to better use for the company, especially during peak work hours.
- Lower Costs: Lower expenses are in store for your boss in utility, cleaning, and possibly travel allowance costs when employees work from home. Plus, the illness rate might even decrease since the risk of office infections is reduced.
- Environmental Impact: With the daily commute displaced, the company’s carbon footprint will shrink.
- Work-Life Balance: While work-life balance should be mentioned briefly, it's wise to focus on providing hard facts to back up your home office proposal.
Arguments to Avoid:
- Personal Circumstances: Citing childcare or elder care responsibilities could signal to your boss that you’re distracted at home, rather than concentrating on work matters.
- Personal Preferences: Tossing around statements such as "I need to pick up the kids from school" or "I want to have lunch with my partner" might not sit well with your boss in hybrid work models. Work-life balance is typically viewed as a matter of self-organization.
Strategic Negotiation Tips
The perfect time to bring up the subject is during annual performance reviews. You can use the success you’ve already achieved with one day a week working from home as a foundation to suggest expanding this arrangement to two days.
In an existing employment relationship, leveraging past achievements and the trust you’ve built with your employer can serve as a launching pad for your argument. Your employer is more likely to entertain your request if they’re pleased with your work performance and collaborative nature.
It's crucial to put thought into your negotiation strategy and be ready with solutions if your boss has concerns. One option is to propose a trial period. Agreeing on specific goals to be accomplished within a set time frame can also be beneficial.
When to Cut Your Losses
If your employer remains unyielding despite your well-thought-out arguments, reassess your needs. Professor Hannes Zacher suggests considering a job change if commuting is a major source of stress or if noise in the office is negatively impacting your health.
If you're on the hunt for a more receptive employer, pay close attention to job advertisements that emphasize flexibility. During job interviews, ask questions about the specifics of the flexibility offer.
References:ntv.de, awi/dpa
- In your community policy discussions with your employer, highlight the potential benefits of vocational training programs for workplace-wellness and health-and-science, improving the overall lifestyle and productivityof employees.
- For a harmonious home-and-garden environment, consider implementing practical lifestyle changes suggested by vocational training, such as energy-efficient practices and time management techniques.
- In the future, if you find yourself in a new role, explore companies with strong health-and-wellness initiatives and science-backed home-and-garden policies that align with your professional growth and personal well-being.
