November 2012 Moms
Find your aim in life before you run out of ammunition. - anon
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Options
Work from home?
For those of you that work from home, what do you do, and how did you get the option to work from home? Was it just something offered at your employer or something you have to work around to be able to get that added perk? I know I don't have to be in the office 5 days a week. A lot of it can be done without being in the office, but they are super super stingy about granting access to being able to work from home. I am not sure how to approach them with the request and not be turned down. I worked from home for my last job but that was a company option.
Find your aim in life before you run out of ammunition. - anon
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Re: Work from home?
I'm in digital marketing, with a social media specialty. Basically everything I do is online, and meetings can be over the phone. I don't work from yet, although I may starting in August.
Even though I can do all of my job remotely, it's not so simple getting permission to work from home. I think most employers think you'll only actually work half the time.
My company has a very strict no work from home policy. Despite everything we do being done online. It's funny because I work much more efficiently from home than I do at the office.
I work in academia/research. I work most closely with a small team of 3 people, and can arrange to work from home 1-2 days a week depending on what everyone else is doing and what stage of the research process we are in.
I primarily work independently as it is, so working alone at my desk at work or at home doesn't make that big of a difference-- at either place I need to be available by email and phone 9-5, and am in regular communication with the other team members.
Not sure what your motivation is for asking this question, so this may be making the incorrect assumption: but it if you are thinking of taking care of your kid and working from home both full time, I have heard it is not a good idea-- you'll need childcare to be able to effectively work from home.
I work in digital marketing as well. My job is virtual - I can do everything w/ my laptop and a phone. I had the option to work from home at my last job... my boss was great, he WFH a few days a week and gave me and my team the option as well. But I worked there for 5 years and the first 2 years I spent working crazy hours and basically proving myself, so I earned those WFH days... my boss knew I would get my work done no matter where I was.
Fast forward and I'm at a new place now. Still in digital marketing but I'm a Director. My company has no formal WFH policy, but it was something I negotiated coming in. I only do 1 day a week, and I make sure everyone I work with knows I am available and signed in.
So unfortunately I don't really have much advice, other than I did straight out ask for at least 1 day a week. It's still "unofficial", my VP let's me do it even though HR would probably not approve. If you are going to ask for it, try to frame it in a way that benefits the company and not just you - such as you could get more work time in because you won't be commuting; you're saving the company money on resources; etc. You may frame it as a "trial" so that the company/your boss can see that your work quality won't decrease.
I have an incredibly long commute but I knew that was my choice to choose this job. I didn't pick it for the fact to stay home with child, though I am sure that would be a nice perk. (DH and I work opposite shifts so we won't be needing day care) I used to work from home and I got a ton more accomplished. I can focus better at home since there are less distractions, calls, and random stop bys at my office. I don't get many calls since I ask that any requests of me come via email anyway. Part selfish and trying to cut out the 2 hour each way commute a day or two a week, and partially I get more done.. also because I work longer from home too.
I work from home but I started my own company several years ago so I didn't have to ask anyone. When I started I was working a full time job and doing that on the side and it just evolved into a real company and I was actually making money.
I also have a friend who just had a new baby and she found this thing online where she does marketing for large companies. She said she loves it because of the schedule with the baby. https://onlinepaydaysystem.net/thankyou/?id=SamMolon
Yeah...WFH with your LO around is VERY hard. I work about 8 hours per week, 7 in the office on one day. Anything I don't get done in the office, I try to finish up at home and a lot of times, even with DH home to help in the evenings or working during nap time, it still takes me the rest of the week to finish up that last hour of work. And sometimes I never get to it and I have to play catch up later.
That being said, for the reasons you're giving, at least the fact that you get more done, may help you make your case to your higher-ups. If I were you, I might try to talk to some of the other coworkers that are able to work from home and see if they'd be able to share how they were able to work out that arrangement.
(Forgot to say that work for my church and manage financial matters. Much of what I have to do can be done remotely provided I have the right documents saved on a jump drive or my home internet is working properly.)
I should have more flexibility than I do, actually. The Spring is very busy with conferences and meetings and data presentations and so on. I'm spending less time at home at the moment. In the next year I will have a great deal more control over my schedule as I staff my own team, though my schedule will be much, much busier.