Use the Polar Vortex to Convince the Boss to Let You Work at Home

It’s cold today in many parts of the country, really cold — from 4 degrees early this morning in Nashville to a whopping negative 32 degrees in Fargo, North Dakota. If you live in one of these super-chilly areas, and have a job that relies on an internet connection, you probably have the option to work from home today. Before you while away the day, half-working while watching Netflix and drinking cocoa, consider this: the Polar Vortex might have given you your best chance at setting up a permanent work-from-home arrangement.

(Photo Credit: akasped/Flickr)

The idea is pretty simple: show the boss you can handle working with minimal supervision today, and you’re more likely to convince him that you can do it on a regular basis. And how can you do that?

1. Really work.

The dirty little secret of working at home is that it’s obvious whether or not you’re doing anything. Most companies require WAHers to be visible online via IM or similar, but in fact, that’s hardly necessary. The person who shows up to work the next day with nothing to show for his time at home is the person who wasted their WAH.

2. Document everything.

Sometimes, work is less visible than we might like. If you’re not answering emails or preparing reports or something tangible like that, take the time to write down everything you do. Even if your work is easy to see, it’s a good idea to keep a record of what you’ve done. If nothing else, it will reassure you that you deserve your manager’s trust.

3. Check your email often.

This is the one time we’ll advise you to be right on your email. Generally speaking, it’s more efficient to check in once or twice a day, but when you’re trying to make a case for working at home, you want to show your boss that you’re accessible. Even if it makes you slightly less productive, checking your email on the regular during your trial work-at-home day will put your manager’s mind at ease. And that, in turn, might allow you be much more productive in the future — from the comfort of your home office.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you work better from home? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.