Telecommuting: Work at Home with a New
Baby?
It sounds like the perfect solution: continue a
full-time schedule, but work a few days a week from
home, with baby at your side.
It sounds good, yes, but the reality is
different. Read why.
The expected norm of all telecommuters is to have caregiving arrangements in place, either inside
or outside the home.
To suggest that you can be the primary caregiver of your
baby while fully concentrating on your work is
considered unrealistic—and unfair to your employer.
But with the right conditions, you can work out a
telecommuting set-up that agrees with both you and your
manager.
“How do I know you're working if I
can't see you?”
Remember, if telecommuting is new to your employer, your
supervisor (inexperienced in managing off-site
employees) may question,
“How do I know you're working if I can't see you?”
This concern has added weight because your manager knows
you just had a baby who is your likely motive for wanting
to work from home.
And because it’s usually an unspoken question, you must
address your manager’s concern in your telecommuting
proposal.
So, when describing the suitability of your home office
set-up, include how care for your baby will be covered.
Again, your manager might not ask it directly, but the
question is there.
There’s no need to be lengthy or detailed, but the way
you say it is important in conveying this issue as part
of the business case you are presenting:
Don’t: “Each work day, I'll drop off my baby at the
babysitter's, who is located 10 minutes from my house.”
Do: “I've lined up a full-time caregiver for my child,
located 10 minutes from my home office.”
Let’s say that your spouse does shift-work or your
mother-in-law lives with you and that person will care
for your baby during regular working hours:
Don’t: “My husband will watch the baby while I work.”
Do: “I've arranged for full-time in-home care for my
child so that I can work without interruption.”
The unspoken truth is...
...with in-home or nearby care, you may enjoy a break or
lunchtime with your baby. You may be able to nurse more
often and/or for a longer duration than if they were not
working from home part of the workweek.
Along with cutting the time, costs and stress of
commuting to the office, these are welcome benefits of
the work-from-home arrangement you're seeking.
If necessary,
“time trade-offs” are done; if the
straight eight hours are not covered during the regular
work day, time is made up in the evening hours. This
gives flexibility to the telecommuting arrangement which
can be viewed as both a positive and a negative of
working from home.
You will have to decide, depending on your
personal/work/manager situation, whether this approach to
working a full day needs to be addressed in your
proposal or discussed informally.
Work from Home with a
New Baby?
Working your regular job from home with a new baby
nearby is
not an ideal set-up, but with the proper arrangements,
it can be manageable, productive and rewarding.
And it can be your reality when you
download the Telecommuting Proposal
Package. Julie
Sullivan of Kansas tells why:
“I am ecstatic to be able to tell you that
just nine days
after purchasing your proposal template, I
have been approved to work from home for FOUR days a
week with just one in the office (following my maternity
leave for our first baby)! [Note: This user arranged
in-home care.]
I was wary of requesting four days after reading that
one to two was the most reasonable and easily accepted
request. I knew that I wouldn't be happy with just that
so went for four and got it with barely a question
asked. The first comment my boss made when I met with
him to discuss my proposal was how impressed he was with
the proposal and its thoroughness.
After doing much research and not finding the sources
I
needed to make a telecommuting request, I can't tell you
how thankful I am that I found your website!”
Julie Sullivan,
Systems Analyst (major financial services company),
Overland Park, KS
Related article:
Telecommuting Proposal Writing Tip: Dependent Care
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