How Do I Sell Telecommuting to My Employer?

EyeBhatingThisCommute asks: "I work in an area with extremely high housing rates. I make an OK salary but even so finding a residence worth the money and that meets my family's needs has been tough. I recently found a home in a great neighborhood about 2 hours from my current job. It is perfect for our needs and is a great value. I know some people may make this commute without a thought but I drove this for 5 months when I first started working in my present area and it made me miserable. How can I best convince my employer to allow me to telecommute for the majority of my work week?" We've done previous articles about telecommuting: here, here and here. It's clear that workers would prefer to telecommute, so why aren't businesses allowing them to do so? When property prices in the city seem to be on a climb without end, how is one supposed to find the perfect marriage of job and location without an endless search?

"I could look for a new job closer to where I want to move but I do like the work that I am doing and I like the direction that the company is going. My work mainly consists of communicating using email and the phone and using a computer for word processing, spreadsheets, etc. My job does require a good amount of interaction with my peers for meetings, troubleshooting and just answering questions so I am willing to spend a day or two each week in the office. Every other part of my job can be done just as effectively at home."

"Has anyone had a similar experience? What are some good arguments for my employer about why I should be allowed to telecommute? The biggest argument for me is my happiness but of course that is usually not the company's #1 concern.

This trend is becomming increasingly true of people who work in even a moderately technological work-places. Are these the signs that the traditional workplace of the 20th century is finally becomming obsolete? If so, how will employees and employers be affected by this change?

Comments

Re:You've got your argument already

[Anonymous Coward]

Tell him about the insurance premiums he'll save on you since you won't be sitting in a 110 story terrorist target.

What a moronic question...

[Anonymous Coward]

"It's clear that workers would prefer to telecommute, so why aren't businesses allowing them to do so?"

It's now confirmed. The slashdot jackasses live in a different reality than the rest of the world who actually work for a living. If I could make money from vomiting whatever assanine thought came to my head... hmm... I guess I'd be working at slashdot.

Here is a clue you waste of good oxygen. 1) companies don't exist to fufill whatever childish whim employees might have. 2) this if fscking America. If you don't like your job. QUIT! Who in Gods name do you think you are to expect a company to bow down before you and honor you every request? Oh right.. you are the slashdot asses. 3) companies don't like the idea of telecommuting because the employees will do very little work. It's as simple as that.

Of course, for the slashdot crowd who often have huge problems even understanding economics 101, it's not very suprising that a common sense answer to a common sense problem would elude you.