How to Negotiate Flexible Work Hours and Telecommuting

Do you know what you are worth at work? You should. Before you can negotiate anything, you should know where you stand. If you have weaknesses, strengthen them. Knowing your worth, and insuring that your manager, and others know what you contribute to the organization puts you in a stronger bargaining position.

If you do not have regular one-on-one updates with your immediate manager, you are losing your best negotiating platform. Immediately schedule face-to-face meetings on a regular basis, preferably bi-weekly for no more than 30 minutes. Most Human Resources Departments mandate regular meetings between employee and manager.

I recommend you set up a brief meeting with your manager and discuss why you want to have regular one-on-one meetings. If your manager blows you off, seek the assistance of your HR Department. They can advise you on the best approach. If necessary, HR can schedule meetings with you and your manager and act as a mediator if necessary. (If you need HR to intercede, then you have more issues than just flex time.)

Don't overlook chances to grab and gab . I often catch my CFO near the employee coffee counter. We chat as we wash our coffee mugs and wait for that first cup of coffee. There are very few people up and at work at 6:30/7:00 a.m. We are rarely interrupted. During our informal chat I can ask his schedule. If his schedule is clear for the next few minutes, I'll walk with him back to his office and finish whatever business is on my mind. Another grab and gab spot is the gym during a morning workout. Grab and gab opportunities should never replace regularly scheduled meetings with your manager. But these quick chats can help you become comfortable talking one-on-one with your manager.

You would be foolish not to seek the eyes and ears of your manager. He or she evaluates your performance and negotiates your raises and promotions. It is important that you make sure they know what you do and how effectively you perform your job.

When you sit down face-to-face you have your manager's full attention. This is your time to present your accomplishments and solutions to issues of importance to you and your manager.

This is your time to shine. You can present pet projects, show your planning skills and your visions. And it is your time to correct any misconceptions that may exist. Few people escape office gossip (positive or negative). If something adverse or false has gotten to your manager, you have this opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings.

Word of mouth can significantly impact your performance evaluation. My boss seeks input from co-workers and other managers as a part of my performance evaluation. Make sure the facts in your file are accurate.

I constantly forward emails regarding issues and how they were resolved, as well as compliments I've received. So if an occasional adverse comment surfaces, I know that my normally strong performance is documented.

Further, I recommend you come to your meeting with either a task list, or a status report. Thirty minutes passes quickly, and when you have a lot to discuss, you may forget to mention a key accomplishments or issues. With something in writing, your manager has a reference and further documentation for your file.

Be sure you thank your manager for his or her time at the end of the meeting. Managers need and deserve appreciation/acknowledgement just as much as we do.

Mary P. Rowe, an ombudsman at MIT, encourages people to think of negotiation as "all interactions between two or more points of view; it's possible to negotiate with yourself."

Hopefully, you've done your homework and you know your company's policy on working at home and flex time. You can ask your HR Representative. Generally flex time is at the discretion of your immediate manager. But if you hit a brick wall, don't give up.

Keep your eyes and ears open. Do you see someone leaving at 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon while you work until 5:30, check it out. Ask them how they arranged their alternate schedule. Sometimes the answer is the nature of the job, i.e. customer service. Sometimes the employee is in school, or has regularly scheduled activities that require early departure. But what you have learned is that unofficially, if not officially, flex time is available.

Most employers will allow you to come in earlier so that you can leave earlier IF they are comfortable that the work will get done and not adversely impact your department or the company as a whole.

After months and/or years of regular meetings with your manager you have proved your work ethics and strong performance, right? Thoroughly review your job responsibilities. Look at your job through your manager's and your co-workers' eyes.

• Do you really need to be on-site five days a week to do your job?
• How would a change your work schedule impact your department?
• What would be the advantages for your boss and the company?
• What would be the disadvantages?

Prepare your justification for wanting to work four days a week, 10 hours a day, rather than nine to five everyday. Or if you want to telecommute one or two days a week, do the same analysis.

Now, if you have thoroughly analyzed your job responsibilities and feel you can work either a shorter work week and/or telecommute, you are ready to talk it over with your manager.

The Art of Negotiation,an article by Brenda Goodman states: "Negotiating well means neither party need feel cheated, manipulated, or taken advantage of".

Negotiating tips:

• Ease into it. During your one-on-one meeting, get the usual small talk out of the way, discuss your business issues and end with your accomplishments. Then transition to discussing flex time. "I want to talk about an issue important to me, but first I want to hear what you have to say about it".
• Say it straight out: I'd like your approval to work 4/10.
• Talk from an informed position. I've checked the employee handbook, and asked HR and there isn't an official policy on flex time. It is totally at your discretion.
• Pause and listen. Watch your body language. Engage your manager.
• Respond to any concerns your manager presents because you are prepared and have anticipated his or her concerns.

Be careful if you choose to negotiate by intimidation: If I can't work 4/10 or telecommute, I will be looking for another job. You may find yourself doing just that.

If your job type truly mandates that you be in the office 9-5 every day then I really would start looking for another job. No one is indispensable. Investigate cross-training so someone can cover your position while you are out and you can do the same in return.

You may also investigate recreating your job so you can take advantage of other opportunities. Read my hub: http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-recreate-your-job--get-noticed-and-get-promoted

To read the entire article by Brenda Goodman, follow the link below.

http://psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=20070116-000011&page=2

Last year I negotiated a 4/10 work week. I recently began working one - two days a week from home. And when I work at home I love to work outdoors listening to the birds and the bubbling pond. It is a very relaxed setting, and my productivity has definitely improved. Even with the phone and emails, I get more done in four hours working at home that I get done in six hours at work.