Take Michelle B., an accountant married to a member of the Birmingham Barons, the double-A affiliate for the Chicago White Sox. She's not sure how to raise the issue of telecommuting with a company she would like to work for. But he's concerned that spending more time off-site could keep him too far from clients and hurt his business. She also finds her open office distracting. She requests some persuasive arguments to win over her boss, who has never let anyone work from home.
Telecommuting is clearly a burning issue for many employees.
A survey released last month by online benefits company LifeCare found that such flexible work arrangements were the No. 1 coveted employee benefit, beating out even health care. Employers may resist having staffers work from home because of a lack of trust, a fear of change or of losing control, or concerns that collaboration by a close-knit team will suffer. I miss my co-workers. Debra Dinnocenzo, author of 101 Tips for Telecommuters , says anyone interested in telecommuting should be ready to counter employers' objections with a proposal full of well-prepared information. And count on having several meetings to convince all the managers who will need to O.K. it.