Making Your Case for Telecommuting: How to Convince the Boss

It's a rare worker who has not - at one point or another during his or her career -- thought it would be great to work from home instead of commuting to work. Perhaps your personal life is feeling out of balance with your work life. Perhaps you have a new baby. Maybe you have an elderly parent to care for. Or perhaps you're just sick of the grind. Certainly since the 9-11-2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. many workers have sought the perceived safety of home as a workplace.

For many telecommuting is seen as the answer to the desire to work from home. The term "telecommuting" is used interchangeably with more recent term "teleworking" which some experts suggest you use when proposing an off-site arrangement to your boss -- since "telework" sounds more like working.

According to the American Interactive Consumer Survey conducted by The Dieringer Research Group for the International Telework Association and Council (ITAC) the number of employed Americans who performed any kind of work from home with a frequency range from as little as 1 day a year to full-time grew from 41.3 million in 2003 to 44.4 million in 2004 a 7.5% growth rate. The number of full-time telecommuters last year was 12 million up from about 8.8 million in 2003. The number of telecommuters is increasing worldwide. Canadian telecommuters for example can recoup up to six full work weeks yearly -- an average hour a day -- by eliminating their daily commute according to Bernard Brodie an InnoVisions Canada consultant.

If you're seriously thinking you'd like a job where you can telecommute a few reality checks are in order first:

It's extremely rare to find a job that starts out as a telecommuting job. It's much more common to convert an existing job into a telecommuting arrangement by presenting a thoughtful and comprehensive proposal to your supervisor.

Most telecommuters don't telecommute full-time instead of working from home two or three days a week. Two days per week is the national average among teleworkers according to the International Telework Association. 

The first thing to do is investigate whether your employer already has a telecommuting program in place. Chances are you'd know about it if such a program exists but maybe it's a well-kept secret. Ask your human-resources department if the organization has such a program.

If your employer has no program start doing some research. Read the organization's employee manual carefully to determine whether any company policies prohibit telecommuting. Try to get an idea what the employer's attitude might be toward allowing you to telecommute. If the company offers flex-time or other flexible work options the organization may also be open to telecommuting. On her Web site WorkOptions.com Pat Katepoo offers some good tips on signals to look for in your current workplace that suggest how receptive your employer may be to telecommuting. You may also want to ask yourself if a flexible work arrangement would likely hurt your "promotability" within the organization and whether you are willing to live with that reality.

Find out if competitor companies allow telecommuting and if other employers in your organization's geographic region permit the practice. You may want to compile articles about the benefits of teleworking. Check out the free article downloads at Gil Gordon's Telecommuting Web Site. Arm yourself with as much information as possible.

Also be sure you are a good candidate for telecommuting. In your heart of hearts are you convinced that you have the self-discipline to work from home under minimal supervision? And perhaps more importantly does your boss perceive you as the kind of self-starter who can perform independently? Are you a proven performer? Well organized? A good-time manager? Think about yourself the same way you would if you were looking for a new job; what is your Unique Selling Proposition? In what ways are you an asset to your employer and what do you do better than anyone else in your organization? If you can effectively communicate your value to your employer you'll be able to sell your boss on the idea of letting you telework.

Consider also whether your job functions lend themselves to telecommuting.