Persuading Your Boss:
"Make a Case for Telecommuting" Guide
The Telecommuting Agreement

"Make a Case for Telecommuting" Guide

1. Plan and prepare with corporate benefits in mind.

Your 'frame of reference' for your approach, rationale and specific plans should be based on what's in the best interest of your job, your manager, your company and your customers. Therefore, while many of your reasons for wanting to telecommute might be personal and relate to advantages you and your family will realize, it's critical that you focus on the numerous advantages telecommuting also offers your employer, such as:

• Increased productivity.
• Lower real estate space costs.
• Reduced equipment/furniture costs.
• Reduced employee turnover.
• Reduced absenteeism.
• Increased customer satisfaction.
• Improved morale.
• Improved work/life balance.
• Legislative compliance.
• More recruitment options.
• Results-oriented management.
• Effective use of meetings.
• Increased flexibility.
• Increased employment of women.
• Increased employment of disabled workers.
• Reduced travel costs.
• Access to part-time or retired employees.
• Competitive advantages.
• Access to additional labor pools to address skill shortages.

Tailor the benefits to specific needs of your employer (highlight corporate initiatives or problems that telecommuting will address.

Offer specific examples of:

• projected cost savings
• comparative advantages realized by similar organizations
• detailed examples of ways productivity measures will improve as a result of telecommuting for your job.

Translate these into a dollar amount your employer can expect to save.

2. Explain why you will be an effective telecommuter.

Provide a list of personal traits for telecommuting success.

Explain in detail how you meet the success criteria and why you are a good candidate for telecommuting.

Include some of your personal reasons for wanting to telecommute, but keep your primary emphasis on the business reasons for your proposal and the advantages telecommuting offers the business enterprise.

3. Explain how you will make telecommuting work.

Describe in detail how you will handle your:

• Major job accountabilities.
• Daily tasks.
• Key co-worker relationships.
• Interactions previously handled as face-to-face.

Provide a detailed summary of your:

• Projected daily schedule.
• Measurable results and methods to report achievement of goals on a routine basis.
• Alternative methods for keeping in touch and maintaining your accessibility to co-workers, managers, vendors and clients.
• Support from other departments and functions from whom you've secured commitment (e.g., information systems/computer support, telecommunications, real estate, human resources/ personnel, marketing, accounting).
• Location and layout of the home office space you will use.
• Plan for handling childcare, family care and other family-related issues.
• Projected equipment needs (and estimated costs for equipment/supplies to be provided by your employer).

4. Suggest a telecommuting pilot.

If your boss or others are not ready to 'take the plunge' and approve your permanent transition to telecommuting, propose a telecommuting pilot to gather more information, uncover unexpected problems and identify additional ways to enhance productivity. Be sure to have the pilot details clearly documented, as well as agreement on the criteria for evaluating success of the pilot. Your pilot proposal should include any projected costs (e.g., phone line installation or phone expenses for use of your home phone line, purchase or loan of a notebook computer, etc.).

Be aware that a pilot program may produce less than stellar results. Lack of resources, infrastructure, awareness and skills may negatively impact the pilot results. Consider these factors when evaluating pilot results and use them as instructive points in the proposed design for your proposed telecommuting plan.

At the conclusion of the telecommuting pilot, present the results by reviewing

• the established criteria and measurements
• obstacles or concerns
• unexpected results

Revise your telecommuting proposal and plan in light of pilot results. If the pilot achieved acceptable results and/or affordable solutions to overcome obstacles can be proposed, make a formal request for approval of an expanded or permanent telecommuting arrangement.