Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: My wife just got offered the chance for a big promotion, but it means relocating. I’d like to work remotely for my employer. Any tips on the best way to present it to them to increase the chances they’ll say yes? – Chandler
DALE: First, think through how you could do this job remotely, emphasizing any advantages to your employer. Take time to put your facts together in a document. This will show that you put effort into the idea. DALE: Depending on the type of people you’ll be persuading, you might want to share some research. There’s an intriguing study called “Does Working from Home Work?” (The first author is Nicholas Bloom, of Stanford University.) A large travel agency randomly assigned call-center volunteers to work either at home or at the office. (This was in their Shanghai office, but it fits what I’ve seen in the U.S.) The result? Those working from home had 13-percent higher productivity due to fewer absences, more calls per hour and increased work satisfaction. Sounds perfect, right? But get this: The promotion rate among at-home employees fell, and when the company let those in the test group choose to continue at home or return to working at the offices, over half switched back to the traditional workplace. J.T.: Perhaps you’ll be in that group, but you’ll never know if you can’t persuade your managers to let you try. But be warned: There are managers who can’t get their heads around the idea. DALE: Yes, even knowing the data on productivity, some managers are reluctant to give up face-to-face control. Even if they trust you, Chandler, they worry that they are “setting a precedent.” To them, it’s a big decision. J.T.: However, even if they turn you down, that decision might not be final. I’ve seen it happen where the employee leaves and the work isn’t getting done, and then management begs the person to come back and work remotely. So make sure you leave in the most professional way possible. DALE: Or, if you sense that they’re unlikely to agree, then you might propose a trial of, say, six months, giving them time to evaluate the experiment and giving you time to move and get established. Even if the company decides it’s working out, you may end up eager to find a traditional job in the new city and start establishing those relationships that make all the difference when it’s time for promotions. Dear J.T. & Dale: Our company went through a restructuring and laid off 25 percent of the staff. Half of my team was let go. Morale is low. How do I get everyone to move past what’s happened? – Rose
