Step 3 – Requesting a different way of working

If you want to start working flexibly, you may need to sell the idea to your manager. That generally means meeting to discuss your plan and submitting a written proposal (some employers have templates available). Drafting the proposal—even roughly--before approaching your manager is an excellent way to anticipate questions and prepare for your conversation.

Your proposal is really a sales document and your manager is your potential customer. Show that you have anticipated the potholes, thought realistically about how to make it work smoothly, and how it will benefit your manager and team members. Let your manager know that you are willing to adjust your plan, if necessary, to suit the needs of the business. Finally, like any reliable product, it comes with a free trial period.”

Describe the product:
Give specific details of the flex arrangement you have in mind. Is it a change in hours? A reduction in schedule? A job share? A certain amount of time worked from home? Is it fixed and repeating, or used on an as-needed basis? If it is fixed, give details of days and times.

Describe potential challenges and solutions:

1. Describe how your arrangement could affect your co-workers, customers (internal or external), and manager, and any challenges it might raise in your own job. Then detail how you plan to address these challenges.
2. Describe how you will address any specific challenges that the arrangement will create, e.g., how will you communicate with a job-share partner or ensure you have the proper set-up for telecommuting.
3. Demonstrate how your plan will benefit the business, your manager, your co-workers and/or your customers. If you cannot cite a direct benefit, show how it will not have any negative effects.

Make it clear that your plan is customizable:
Your tone, both in the proposal and in your ongoing negotiations for flexibility, should indicate your willingness to adapt your proposed plan to meet business needs. It should also be clear that you understand that you cannot lock your organization into a permanent agreement. Your job may change and the business's needs may change, and the arrangement may need to be revisited.

Build in a free trial period:
Your manager has a lot less to lose if you suggest piloting the arrangement for a limited amount of time. And if you think about it, so do you. A trial period gives you both a chance to work out the kinks, and address problems you might not have foreseen. You'll want to include some suggestions for metrics—how will both you and your manager decide whether the plan is working?

What not to say in a proposal:

You shouldn't feel obligated to explain your reasons for seeking flexibility. Smart companies make flexibility decisions based on feasibility, not on the employee's reasons for wanting it. It also helps prevent charges of unfairness.

Safety in Numbers?

Sometimes flexible ways of working can benefit the whole team. If you know that others in your group would like to work flexibly, you can talk with them about putting together a group proposal. You'll want to go through all the same steps as you would for an individual proposal. Think about creative ways to cover the work—if everyone wants to work a compressed work week, but you need coverage 5 days a week, can some people work Mondays-Thursdays and others work Tuesdays-Fridays? Are there enough people willing to work each of these schedules to make it realistic—or does everyone want Fridays off? Think about special concerns that might arise—what if one or two people change their mind and decide they prefer a "standard" schedule. Will the plan still work?

Make sure everyone in the group understands and agrees with the plan and his or her own accountability for making it work. Be especially careful to take the time to consider any objections or barriers that might arise, and whether they can be successfully countered. Then write your proposal and start negotiating!