While many parents would love to just quit their jobs and stay home with their kids, this isn’t an option for a lot of families. For parents who can’t afford to have only one income, the next best thing is telecommuting. At a time when people want to spend more time with their families (and employers want to spend less money on their employees), people are turning to telecommuting as a way to save both time and money. According to the US Department of Labor, there are between 13 and 19 million telecommuters in America today. This is a growing number as companies realize the vast benefits of allowing employees to work at home.

But how do you convince your boss that you can effectively do your job at home? You need a plan. Nothing impresses a boss more than the presentation of a thoroughly researched plan of action. Before you can create this plan, however, you have to do some soul searching to determine if you really can do your job at home. Assessing your situation consists of four important questions that you must answer honestly. What are your responsibilities? Make a list of your job responsibilities, and determine if they can be done from home. Are you capable of completing your work at home? Take an honest look at your personality. Are you driven enough to get your work done in your home office? How do your co-workers feel about the possibility of you telecommuting? Are your coworkers behind your in your endeavor to telecommute? Ask all of your co-workers about their concerns, and find solutions that will put their minds at ease.

What technical changes need to be made? Talk to your computer support team about network issues that need to be addressed and special software that may help you resolve communications issues.

Once you have determined that your job lends itself to a telecommuting arrangement, you can create your plan. Using the answers to the questions above, you can cover all of the issues that are important in convincing your boss that you’re ready for this responsibility. Issues you need to cover in your plan include the following: network connectivity, communication, contact information, quality assurance measures, restrictions, and implementation of team and customer surveys.

If your job truly is conducive to telecommuting, a little research, a comprehensive plan, and a positive attitude may be all you need to convince your boss that you can be as productive at home as you are at the office, if not more so.

Submitted by Karen S. Davis, NC