telework

I Want to Telework

Successful Telework Candidates

Teleworking might be a great fit if you have the right type of work-style and work in the right type of position. To see if you are a good candidate for teleworking, start by evaluating yourself and your current job description to see if your personality and position are a good match for teleworking.

Evaluate yourself and your position

Before you approach your boss after the next staff meeting, consider that certain personalities and job characteristics are a better fit for teleworking than others. Be honest in evaluating your own strengths and weaknesses.

Employees that are most successful in telework programs are usually:

• Social – Employees that tend to talk with co-workers in the office can get more work done when in a less distracting, uninterrupted environment.
• Well trained – Employees need to be confident in the ability to complete assigned duties and projects.
• Work independently – Employees that manage their time and work plan well in an office setting can usually do the same in a home or remote office.

When evaluating your work-style, consider the characteristics of positions that do well teleworking and again, be honest about your own strengths. These positions:

• require little face-to-face interaction and spur of the moment decisions with co-worker or supervisor input
• can access needed information with technology (shared electronic files, phone, fax) and do not need extended access to hard copies of documents
• do not require daily use of office supplies and equipment
• have measurable work products

Still not sure if teleworking is right for you? Take this quiz and review the answers with your manager.

Make the case to your supervisor

If you think that teleworking will work for you, review these resources before talking to your supervisor.

• Article and Information on Sample Telework Proposal
• A Sample Memo from the Clean Air Campaign

Remember, if your company doesn’t have a telework option yet, you are creating more work for your supervisor – regardless that it greatly benefits the company in the long run. Move forward with your idea as you would any other business proposal and set up a time to discuss options with your supervisor.

Get Started

So you’re certain your job description and personality are good fit for teleworking and your supervisor has said yes? Review this page for information on how to set up your home office to make sure you’ll be ready and productive from Day One.