Cliff in Monte Rio writes, “I have been working remotely as an individual contributor for a company headquartered in San Jose for the past 5 years. The company recently announced that it will start to require all employee to work on-site a couple of days a week. Can they make me drive to San Jose to work? Help “
As a general rule, unless full time telecommuting is written into an offer letter or in another official company document it is a privilege and not a right. So the short answer is yes, the company may require workers to work on sight at any time and for any reason. This does not mean that as a successful telecommuter employee there is nothing you can do. Here are 5 things arguments to make in support of a continued work from home arrangement. One, document your successes. Get out your performance reviews, congratulatory emails and other documents evidencing that you are an incredibly productive remote worker and compile it. Most companies are more interested in helping employees work successfully then following sometimes-arbitrary rules. Three, make it financially compelling for the company to support remote workers. Show the company how money is saved by your remote status. Become a power-user in applications that allow for online meetings, project management and anything else that dovetails nicely into your job function. Gently introduce this type of technology to other teams or groups in the company who may not have used it extensively. The more ingrained remote meetings become the more comfortable the company will be in recognizing it as a positive alternative to sitting everyone in the same room. Four, be sure your boss understands the challenges you would face being forced to work on-site regularly. Whether it is commute length, family commitments, basic work/life balance or all of the above, be honest. Giving the company a bit of visibility on your personal situation will bring added perspective to your requests and make you a more compelling candidate. Five, be flexible. If the company really needs all employees to be on-site periodically then make the trek. Negotiate the opportunity to revisit the issue in 60 or 90 days but meet the corporate objective. Your willingness to cooperate will not be forgotten.
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