Work From Home - Save Time, Stress And Money

24 million Americans work from home at least 1 day a month

While the rising cost of gas is making it more expensive for commuters to get to work, the shrinking cost of wireless technologies are making it easier to get work done from a desk in the bedroom, rather than a table in the boardroom.  

One new national poll shows that telecommuting is becoming more commonplace. For example, nearly half (44 percent) of chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed said their companies’ IT workforce is telecommuting at a rate that is the same or higher than five years ago.

Improved retention, moral, increased productivity and better work-life balance are the biggest benefits sighted by workers and companies. If you think working from the comfort of your home might be for you, make a compelling case to convince your boss with the following:

• Evaluate Your Job.  Do you spend a good portion of your day emailing colleagues and customers? Talking on the phone to vendors?  Working on the computer? If so, you may be a great candidate for telecommuting.

• Present your boss with a plan – in writing. Let your boss know exactly what hours you plan on working from home, what the cost savings will be, what monetary investments (if any) would be required and the benefits to both the company and your boss of your telecommuting. If you need some juicy statistics to beef up your case, check out more about how to work from home at The Telework Coalition. 

• Promise results. Your boss’s biggest concern is likely to be that instead of writing that sales proposal, you will sit around in your pajamas (or underwear) drinking beer all day long. You can help erase that image from his/her mind by agreeing to commit to measurable, weekly or daily work-from-home goals.  

• Recommend a test run. If after doing all the above, you boss is still skeptical, suggest trying telecommuting out for a few weeks or a month.