Working Remotely: Negotiating a Thoughtful Plan
“Never do the work carelessly because you wish to hide your gifts. Remember, that work is his. You are his co-worker. Therefore, he depends on you for that special work. Do the work with him, and the work will be done for him. The talents God has given you are not yours—they have been given to you for your use, for the glory of God” (St. Teresa of Kolkata).
I don't remember why, but I requested to take off Friday, March 13, 2020. Maybe I had some unconscious foresight of what was to come. I remember my boss saying not to plan to come in on Monday, to take whatever I thought I'd need to work from home for a couple of weeks. Well, we all know the rest of the story.
Like millions of others, I spent the next 18 months working from my home “office,” which alternated between my basement (low light, a bit depressing), my dining room table (too many interruptions), or my enclosed porch (my favorite). At the start of the pandemic, I bought an old writing desk and refinished it in my garage. I knew nothing about refinishing furniture, but it turned out beautifully. It was my office for the next year and a half. My husband and son carefully moved it from the living room to the porch and back again, depending on the season.
Things I didn’t know I’d need: a good pair of headphones for the video and phone calls that made up my days and a light for my laptop camera. I drove to my office late one night and absconded with my desk chair; it made a huge difference.
I was fortunate that I had a job that I could do remotely 90% of the time. My phone calls were now from my house instead of my desk on campus. This mirrored the experience of millions of people who could accomplish their daily tasks from the couch, the dining room table, or the coffee shop down the street.
When you think about it, this isn’t revolutionary. I worked at a law firm for several years in the early 2000s. Hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions took place over conference calls and fax machines. Remote work is not a new concept; we’ve just redefined it.
What does this mean for people looking for new work or returning to the office? Many companies offer their employees a hybrid or fully remote option, but this is not always the case. Can you persuade an employer to make remote or hybrid work a possibility? As with your salary, you can negotiate a mutually viable remote work agreement.
Think About Your Job and Its Needs
Do you interact in person with others daily, or do you collaborate with colleagues who live and work in other regions? First and foremost, working from home has to make sense for your role. If your job description calls for you to be people-facing, remote work may not be feasible.
Do Your Research Ahead of Time
Do companies similar to your employer have a work-from-home arrangement? If so, is it 100% remote? 50%? Did your company have a policy during the pandemic that you could look to for guidance?
Consider Your Co-workers
Are you on a team that does similar work? Would a rotating remote schedule make sense? Could the entire team be remote?
Other Considerations
Some companies don’t allow employees to work from other countries due to tax implications, so consider this policy when you are planning your remote location. Do your due diligence, and be upfront about your plans.
After you analyze these issues, schedule a time to talk with your supervisor, and have answers ready for any questions you anticipate that he or she will ask. I always appreciated it when my employees brought a plan to me that, even if it wasn’t perfect, was a starting point for consideration. Propose a trial period to see how it works; then, schedule a follow-up meeting to review and adjust the plan.
2020 significantly changed office work life, some for better, some for worse. Mental health and work became inextricably linked; this is one change for the better. The option of working remotely, even part-time, is another. This flexibility is a win-win for companies where the employee has autonomy and independence and the company has its needs met.
Cathi Kennedy is passionate about building relationships. At the University of Notre Dame, she advises graduate students for the Mendoza College of Business. Her background is in marketing and communications, and she recently received her MBA. Impassioned writer, voracious reader, aspiring knitter. Married to a musician and a mom to two amazing sons. Cathi is a convert to Catholicism and seeks to learn something new about her faith every day. Connect with Cathi: LinkedIn • Instagram • Facebook • Blog