Request for laptop to work from home
When the COVID-19 pandemic first caused widespread lockdowns and many employees found themselves suddenly working from home, they didnt expect theyd be remote for more than a year. For many companies, the reopening so many months later in the wake of the pandemic might mean having you come back to the office either full-time or as part of a hybrid work model. But what if thats not what you want? What if after all this time working remotely, youve realized that you prefer it and you want to keep doing it indefinitely? Show
The good news is that this moment of transition could be a prime opportunity to request that you be allowed to continue working from home. Before 2020, companies with few or no remote workers didnt know how remote work would affect their business. The biggest difference is that most companies have been forced to to live through having a remote workforce and now actually have data on what its like, says Karl Rinderknecht, cofounder and COO of WhoCo, who has managed in-person, remote, and hybrid teams across industries. Are people as productive? Are people as happy? Do we need so much office space? Pre-COVID, these were questions where maybe you could get data about other companies, but not data about your own workforce. After this broad work-from-home experiment, you might be able to leverage your companys data as evidence to support a more permanent remote work situation. We previously wrote about eight steps to take if you want to keep working remotely after the pandemic, including tracking your productivity and wins and being responsive and present during remote time. But whether youve prepared for indefinite remote work throughout the pandemic or are just starting to consider how to make your work-from-home setup permanent, you might be struggling to approach your manager and make the actual request. So weve put together all the materials you might need as you prepare and make your askalong with a few tips for how to use them.
A Worksheet That Will Help You Outline Your Work-From-Home ProposalFor any permanent remote work request, youll want to show your manager that youve taken the time to consider what working from home for the long run entails. You want your plan to basically tell your manager: Heres what Im asking and why, heres what youre going to see from me, and heres what Im going to be focusing on to make sure this works for everyone, says Muse career coach Eloise Eonnet. Filling out this free downloadable worksheet and using it to create a plan will help you frame your request in a way thats likely to resonate. Here are a few tips for using this worksheet and turning it into a written or oral proposal:
Download the free worksheet to help you make your plan Email Templates for Reaching Out to Your ManagerDuring the process of requesting a permanent remote work setup, youll likely need to send your boss an email or other written message, either to set up a meeting where you can make your request or to send your written proposal. Here are templates to help you along: Email Template to Request a MeetingHeres a message you can send if you want to lay out your work-from-home request in a meeting. I suggest broaching the topic initially in a conversation with your manager, especially if you have an established weekly one-on-one or if its easy to have a quick ad-hoc conversation, Rinderknecht says. For an initial email or message, I recommend keeping it really simple. Just request a meeting and/or introduce the topic youd like to discuss ahead of time so your manager isnt taken by surprise. Hi [Managers Name], As [we plan to return to the office/Im beginning to hear chatter around returning to the office/company leadership begins to plan for after the pandemic], I was hoping we could set aside time to have a chat about this topic. Id like to keep working from home indefinitely after the pandemic ends, and I wanted to get your initial thoughts about how we can make this work. I was hoping to talk about this [window of time/during our next one-on-one]. [When would be best for you?/Can we add this to our agenda?] Thanks, [Your Name] Email Template to Send Over Your Written ProposalIf you want your manager to see your plan before you discuss it, An email outlining [your] situation and the reasons for [your] request is a great way to start, Munday says. This email template will help introduce your proposal: Hi [Managers Name], As [we plan to return to the office/Im beginning to hear chatter around returning to the office/company leadership begins to plan for after the pandemic], Ive realized that Id like to keep working from home indefinitely after the pandemic ends. Ive put together an initial proposal outlining my reasons and how this would work below. Id love to [set up a meeting to discuss this further/hear your initial thoughts/answer any questions or address any of your concerns]. Please let me know what you think! Thanks, [Your Name] A Script for Requesting Permanent Remote Work in a MeetingOnce its time to speak with your manager face-to-facewhether in-person or over Zoomwhat do you say? Heres a script to follow (with input from Eonnet). Plug in the answers you already came up with on your worksheet and adjust as necessary. At all times, keep in mind that your ask should be tailored to your managers and/or the companys goals. First, start by mentioning your accomplishments: Over the past year, Ive grown a lot as [a/an] [position youre in or a skill youve improved]. Despite the pandemic I have [concrete, specific accomplishment that affects your manager]. And Ive [how youve communicated, built relationships with teammates virtually, or taken part in the companys culture even online]. Once youve reminded your manager of your success, introduce your request, but, if at all possible, avoid framing it as a question. Instead, state your intention or preference to continue working from home. How strongly you state your intention depends on your personal situation. Now that Ive [how youve gotten comfortable with remote work or how remote work has improved your life in a way that helps the company], [Id like tocontinue to work from home for the foreseeable future/I would strongly prefer to continue working remotely full time.] Then, Eonnet recommends launching into your proposal immediately, focusing on how working from home will help drive stronger results and achieve the goals your manager, team, and company are working toward. Keep it concise in this initial conversation but be prepared with additional examples to support your claims if needed. Lastly, youll need to stop talking, Eonnet says. If you go on past your planned material or start babbling or apologizing, you might sound less confident in your requestand, in turn, in your ability to work remotely. Instead, Eonnet recommends ending with something like: Given what Ive just shared, Id love to hear your thoughts about how we could make this work. A Few More Tips for Having the Permanent Remote Work Conversation With Your ManagerIn addition to what you say, The way you have this conversation is so important, Eonnet says. Your manager needs to believe that you got this, and that youve really given this a lot of thought. Be confident, not bossy (which might make you sound entitled) or insecure (which might make your manager subconsciously believe youre not sure of your plan). To accomplish this:
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