“How Do I Negotiate A SmartWorking Arrangement?”

Many employees may feel nervous or a little awkward at the prospect of approaching their employer to negotiate an alternative working arrangement. We understand that it can be a daunting task, so we have come up with a few top tips to guide you in arranging your #SmartWork!

1. Research existing policies on SmartWorking

First and foremost, you’ll need to convince your boss that allowing you to work smartly will benefit the business and will not have an impact on your individual productivity. Does your company already have existing policies allowing remote, hybrid or flexible working? You may think it is not permitted but it could potentially be written in the company handbook.

It is best to approach your HR department in this case as they can advise you on which rules and regulations may work in your favour as well as obtaining data on the success of remote working in other departments and the expectations of remote workers in your company.

Educate yourself on what you’re signing up for! The more confident you are in your ability to SmartWork, the more likely your employer will enter negotiations with you.

2. Flexible, Remote or Hybrid

Have a clear idea of which model of SmartWorking will work best for you. Are you looking for flexible hours that differ to your typical Monday- Friday nine to five? Or would you prefer to work all of your contracted hours from home? Would you like you work part time in the office and part time at home. These are the questions you ought to ask yourself before ever approaching your employer.

3. Request a trial run

Your employer may not be 100% convinced by your suggestion- but perhaps by requesting a trial run to showcase SmartWorking in action, your boss will find out whether or not this model works for them. Make sure to give the trial run your best effort and show your motivation! Maintain communication between you, your employer and colleagues and do not become disengaged. Don’t fake it until you make it, but don’t appear to be totally, ‘remote’, either!

4. Proposal in writing

Requesting to change your work pattern is a serious request, but if the conversation is brought up in the middle of making a coffee it may be misconstrued as a casual vent about workplace frustration. If you put effort into writing a clear and concise proposal, your boss will be more inclined to take you seriously. Include information such as:

• Why do you want to SmartWork? Do you want to return to education to upskill or do you need more time to spend with an elderly relative?
• Your proposed work schedule- what hours are you suggesting you will work? Will you make the daily brief meetings? Is there a particular time that you can not work?
• List of equipment and technology- don’t leave it to your employer to guess what SmartWorking will entail as they might lose patience and decline the proposal. If you need access to the company data base, communicate this. The same applies to internet access, company social media accounts and software. Be clear in what you need from your boss to enable you #SmartWork productively.

The World of Work is changing and with that, more and more employers are becoming open to the concept of SmartWorking- whether it be remote or hybrid. Keep these tips in mind when approaching your employer and most importantly, do not be afraid!

To find out more about SmartWorking and the different types click here