SMB Networks / Remote Offices /

Bringing telework in through the back door

The first in a two part series

By Toni Kistner
Net.Worker, 03/19/01

Giddy forecasts and widely publicized Fortune 500 company initiatives aside, telework is still met with fear and distrust by much of middle management. Employees see a part-time telework initiative as a no-brainer way to win back time lost in traffic, sidestep burnout and perform quality (even superior) work minus all the office distractions. But the boss sees it as a means of relinquishing control. Out of sight, unable to manage, case closed.

Worse, casual telework may be working against you. Fighting off a cold? While the boss won't instill a one-day-a-week telework program, he's probably fine with you calling in requesting to work from home while resting up. While this strategy lets you shore up sick days, you'll likely return to the office still sick and resentful of the fact that you got more done sick than you ever do in the office. Imagine what you could've accomplished had you been well?

I've been there. In my previous job at Home Office Computing, I pushed hard for a once-a-week telework program and failed. We write about home office working for a living, I'd say. Shouldn't we write from experience? We even had on staff the author of a telework manual who had implemented a similar plan at her previous job. After much wrangling, we were each granted two telework days a month as a compromise. While that sounds good on paper, the initiative failed because it required us to ask permission. Boss, do you mind if I take Friday to work from home? Rather than suffer that, staff members began eschewing their telework days, and management scratched its head wondering why, after all the fuss, no one was teleworking.

Point is, sometimes the best-laid arguments fall on deaf ears. Instead, bide your time, and experiment with more of a back-door approach. First, look for reasonable opportunities to work from home. Inclement weather and natural disasters are great enablers, but too few to count on. What about the tail end of a business trip? The day of a doctor's appointment? How about on a day that the boss is traveling? (If he's spooked when you're out of sight, he'll be less so when he's out of sight, too.) While it's tempting, don't target sick days or when the kids are off from school. Plan your telework days carefully, then show the boss how much more work you got done - that might make an impression. Keep track of your positive experiences and those of your colleagues, and in time revisit the issue with concrete examples to bolster your case.

Next time, we'll look at failsafe methods for making sure you have all your files with you.