© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
How to ask for more
I went back to work this week in NYC after working from home for almost 4 months. It's caused some resentment on my part. The commute adds another 3 hours to my day, and nothing I did this week I couldn't have done from my home. I'm overall just happier working from home and I haven't heard any negative feedback from my direct report. My department has been incredibly inflexible about this to the point that one of my coworkers quit, after asking to formally work from home for the foreseeable future because she won't have childcare and working in the city may prevent her from visiting her parents. She was told no by upper management, even though our direct report (same manager) said he would support her.
The "support" to him was not actively saying she couldn't do it, but not going to bat for her when she brought it up to upper management who made the final decision. Now, my team is down to its studs and I'm trying to see how I can use this to my advantage to work from home. I feel like upper management is going to hit me with "we need to go back for morale's sake" and "you should be grateful you have a job." I am, but I expect more from my employer. I've been happier in the past 4 months than I have in the past 2 years (coming up on 4 years in the position.) Any help crafting a negotiation to my supervisor and upper management would be helpful!
User deleted comment on 07/17/20 at 9:06PM UTC
Katy Engle
Bay Area based Executive Recruiter
29
07/17/20 at 7:29PM UTC
I honestly think that companies are going to start losing great employees like you if they don't adapt to provide more flexibility. It is a shame that they forced the issue of coming back with no discussion. Do you know if more of your co-workers feel strongly about this? If so, there may be a way to have some discussions internally and figure out a way to present a united front to management and open up a discussion that is company wide rather than just related to you. Hopefully your management team would be receptive to a broader request for more flexibility and work from home, especially if it improves employee happiness and engagement like it seems like it has for you!
Anonymous
07/17/20 at 9:06PM UTC
My coworker did feel strongly about this, and upon getting rejected after asking for more flexibility (among other reasons) she quit. So now my department is myself and my direct report. I don't want to escalate the situation and go to HR when my manager and I could have a conversation, but I don't know what to do at this point.
Katy EngleBay Area based Executive Recruiter
29
07/17/20 at 9:16PM UTC
Got it. What about employees outside of your department? Is this something they are also concerned with? (Obviously dependent on what it is you do and I don't have that context.) Either way, I do think it would be helpful to have a conversation with your manager about it. He may have some ideas on whether this is something that is a company wide concern that can be raised to HR and perhaps something he can raise to HR rather than you having to go to them directly.
Anonymous
07/11/20 at 5:58PM UTC
Is your position customer or client facing? I know that has been a big point for our company. We want people back in the office because it suggests to our clients that it's business as usual and everything is fine. Some things are about optics. It would be worthwhile to talk to your manager or HR about why the decision was made to bring everyone back. They may know things you don't. In some cases, it may even be because of issues well outside of you - how can they let you do it and not everyone? Where do they draw the line? What are the deciding factors? Your manager may have very real reasons for not wanting your co-worker to work from home. Those reasons may be in place for you or they may not be. You have to seek to understand.
Anonymous
07/17/20 at 9:01PM UTC
No, we're not allowing outside people into the building. It's definitely about optics, as told to my other coworker by HR. It just doesn't make any sense to me and I'm struggling on how to present an argument that is calm and well thought out without getting told no.
Simone Arnold
25
07/10/20 at 1:35AM UTC
Happy employees are engaged, committed and remain partners who impact the bottom line (positively). You're likely feeling that your well-being is not top priority. The Covid crisis calls for empathetic leadership, which boosts morale and loyalty. In these strange times, there is still an expectation for continued and renewed lines of communication across all levels. Do you know if a focus group was arranged to assess the situation before you returned?
Anonymous
07/10/20 at 3:34AM UTC
No. My team was one of the last to be brought in because my job function was considered less essential. When my manager came to us and essentially relayed that we needed to go back to work but no discussion of whether we wanted to or not, just what days we would prefer.
Vicki AbelsonLeadership and Life Coach
150
07/10/20 at 1:15AM UTC
Hi! I would be happy to talk this through with you. Some initial ideas are (and this is with not knowing what you do) are to include any productivity date of you and your team and any big achievements that you have made over the last 4 months. I would go to them with a "what's in it for them" mentality. Show them how hard you work and how valuable you are while working from home.
Anonymous
07/10/20 at 3:28AM UTC
This was my thinking! I’m just wondering how to phrase it given that my other coworker who was higher than me didn’t get that and she had perfectly valid reasons to ask for it.
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