How To Negotiate Remote Work: Step-by-Step Guide

Have you been wondering what it would be like to have your daily commute consist of the few steps between your kitchen beverage station and the seat in front of your computer? If so, you’re not alone; for many, working from home is an ideal solution.

In the past few years, working remotely has become more popular, among both employees and employers, which means negotiating remote work is essential to the process. Expectations for flexible work options have increased, with 58% of Americans working from home at least one day a week. Nine out of 10 executives plan to continue to offer remote working options, which is good news because employees given greater flexibility experience less fatigue, perform better, and are more likely to remain with an organization.

If you’re seeking to negotiate a remote work arrangement with your employer, follow this step-by-step guide to learn tips and strategies for convincing your employer why a flexible work arrangement will benefit you both.

Benefits of remote work

Negotiating remote work is easier when you understand the benefits. The advantages of remote work, both for employees and employers, are numerous.

Remote work benefits for employees include:

• Flexibility and work-life balance
• Reduced commuting expense and carbon footprint
• Access to jobs outside your geographic location
• Increased job satisfaction

Remote work benefits for employers include:

• Access to a broader talent pool
• Ability to attract skilled talent seeking remote and hybrid options
• Increased employee productivity
• Lowered costs to maintain an office
• Lowered in-office energy consumption

Ample evidence supports the benefits of remote work. Both employers and employees have experienced the positive impact of remote job policies.

How to negotiate remote work

If you’re wondering how to begin negotiating remote work with your employer, plan a thoughtful approach that includes taking inventory of your current position, researching the pros and cons, and preparing a well-rehearsed pitch.

Set yourself up for success by following this eight-step strategy:

1. Assess your role and responsibilities
2. Research company policies
3. Gather supporting data
4. Prepare your proposal
5. Choose the right time to negotiate
6. Present your case effectively
7. Be flexible and open to compromise
8. Follow up after the meeting

Plan a deliberate and intentional approach to negotiating remote work with an employer. After utilizing these eight steps, you’ll be well on your way to getting the result you want and shifting to working remotely.

Step 1. Assess your role and responsibilities

The first step to take when negotiating remote work with your employer is to assess the roles and responsibilities of your job. Will the tasks and deliverables you’re responsible for fit with a remote work structure? Ask yourself:

• Which tasks can be done remotely
• What would be the impact on your colleagues?
• Which tasks, if any, have in-person dependencies?
• Are workarounds available for in-person needs?

Evaluate if your role is suitable for remote work. Then create a tidy list that overviews your responsibilities and the ways that each is a fit for remote work.

Next, consider whether remote work could improve your efficiency, along with other positive outcomes of remote work. Points to consider include:

• Studies that show remote workers are more productive and effective
• Analysis of whether your particular role will flourish when done remotely

Invest in the time you need to evaluate your role. Know how to articulate how it fits within a remote work arrangement.

Step 2. Research company policies

Next, look into whether or not your company has a remote work policy. Does a remote work strategy already exist? Has a precedent for or against remote work been established?

Learn about the policy and history of remote work at your company, if any. Evaluate the general attitude and receptiveness at your company for working from home to understand the company’s general stance on remote work arrangements.

Take time to gauge whether the company culture and work environment will support your efforts to negotiate a remote work arrangement. Does the company have a strong remote work culture? Is the company culture around remote a fit for you? Find out:

• What are the company’s vision and core values?
• Do company leaders support flexibility?
• Is anyone else working remotely or working within a hybrid model?
• Is a value placed on work-life balance?
• Are tools set up that facilitate remote communication?

Find out early where company policy and culture land when it comes to remote work. This will inform your approach in negotiating remote work for your particular role.

Step 3. Gather supporting data

An important step when asking how to negotiate remote work with your manager is to gather data that supports the effectiveness of the remote work model. Put in the legwork ahead of time to collect evidence and statistics that prove remote work has been effective and is here to stay.

Find credible resources that show the benefits of remote work. Resources to consider include Upwork’s Research Institute, McKinsey & Company, Harvard Business Review, Gartner, and don’t forget the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. All offer research and data that support how to negotiate remote work.

Additional information to collect includes data that reinforces the value you’ve brought to your company performing within your current role. If you’ve earned successful results by completing a project, launching a product or service, or reaching revenue goals, keep a list of your achievements. Include how each activity would translate into a remote work role. Note your ability to meet deadlines and work autonomously.

Along with gathering data that supports remote work in general as well as your success as an employee, take time gathering information about the best remote work roles. Analyze whether variables related to benefits packages are affected by remote work, and research topics like:

• Benefits
• Time off
• Compensation
• Business travel

Know if and how variables like this are affected. They may not be affected at all—but do your research and be prepared to address these topics if they come up. Find examples of remote work success stories to share with your manager. If you can, include remote work arrangements in roles like your own.

Step 4. Prepare your proposal

Next, it’s time to prepare your proposal—or pitch—for negotiating remote work. Create a professional document that clearly summarizes your request for a remote work arrangement. Take it as seriously as you would when crafting a business proposal. Include the following points in your proposal:

• Overview what working remotely would mean in the context of your position
• Outline the benefits of remote work for the employer
• Outline the benefits of remote work for the employee
• Highlight success stories of remote work arrangements
• Include details on how you plan to manage your work remotely
• Identify any upfront investment needed, if any
• Recap your contributions and achievements thus far, and how the work you do fits well with the remote model
• Suggest a trial period to demonstrate productivity

Review and proofread your proposal. Invite others to review and offer suggestions for revision. Create copies of your proposal to distribute to other people who may be at the meeting or to leave with your manager to distribute later to people who will be involved in the decision-making.

Step 5. Choose the right time to negotiate

Once you’ve prepared your proposal, identify the best time to discuss the possibility of a remote work arrangement. Good times could include:

• During a performance review
• During a weekly check-in meeting
• Following a major accomplishment

Let your manager know beforehand that you have a topic you’d like to discuss, so you don’t catch them off guard. Anticipate questions or objections they may have and prepare thoughtful responses. Prepare for the meeting by reviewing your proposal and practicing your pitch.

Step 6. Present your working-from-home case effectively

Present your case effectively by being professional, competent, and friendly during the meeting. Even take a moment ahead of time to research how to have difficult conversations, not because this conversation will be difficult, but to ensure the conversation is productive.

At the beginning of the meeting, connect with the person you’re presenting to. Ask how they’re doing. Share something about yourself.

Next, state the purpose of the meeting, explain what you hope to cover during the meeting, and distribute any materials you’ve prepared for the meeting. Present the data and research you’ve gathered in support of working remotely.

Discuss the logistics of remote work, such as how you plan to communicate when working remotely, which resources and communication tools would be needed for successful remote work, and what your work schedule could look like. Focus on effectiveness, rather than personal convenience.

Ask questions and listen to feedback. Asking questions will help you address any concerns your employer might have and give you the chance to offer solutions. Before ending the meeting, ask about the decision timeline. What are the ideal next steps for following up? Offer to do the legwork to set up the next meeting.

Step 7. Be flexible and open to compromise

When pursuing how to negotiate remote work, you may have your heart set on a specific agreement. Instead, try to be flexible and show a willingness to find a mutually beneficial solution. Flexibility in a business is often the key to good outcomes.

Terms and conditions that may come up for negotiation include:

• Remote work options with caveatssome text
  • Compromising on a hybrid work arrangement, possibly a part-time, rather than full-time remote role
  • Coming on-site for specific meetings, team building exercises, and events
• Different compensation packages for remote employees
• New or different check-in requirements
• A change in job responsibilities
• Adjustment to new tools that support remote work models

Do your research, know your worth, and take a flexible, positive approach. If you land on a compromise, ask to set up a timeline to measure and evaluate the arrangement, with the opportunity to modify details if needed.

Step 8. Follow up after the meeting

You’ve come this far. Take a moment to congratulate yourself, deeply breathe in and out a few times, then move on to step eight: the meeting follow-up.

Send a thank-you email expressing gratitude for the discussion. In the email, be sure to include:

• A recap of key points and agreements made during the meeting
• A written plan if a trial period was agreed upon
• Next steps for following up if a remote work arrangement was not agreed upon

Think of it as you would a follow-up to a job interview. Showing appreciation creates a positive impression. A follow-up makes it easy for the other person to respond; it sets clear expectations on how to move forward and can pave the way for additional conversation.

Monitor your remote work arrangement

If you’ve successfully negotiated a remote work arrangement, congratulations! Take a moment to bask in the glory of your achievement, but then get right to work. Complete the actual work you’re supposed to do, and be sure to monitor how it’s going. Gather concrete information to share with your manager and team.

Keep your work-from-home privileges with these tips:

Track your productivity. Note and track how productive you are working from home. What have you accomplished? How long has it taken? How do these numbers compare with productivity rates when working in the office? Take a look at common ways to measure employee performance or come up with an agreed-upon set of activities to measure. Ideally, you’d have a baseline from working at the office with which to compare.

Set goals. To make sure you demonstrate the effectiveness of working remotely, set clear goals and strive to achieve them. Keep yourself productive and accountable with brief daily check-ins on progress, working against a timer, using a brown noise app to prevent distraction. Create a punch list for the day and get going.

Communicate regularly with your manager and team. Keep your manager and teammates updated, when necessary, about details related to your work. Learn how to communicate effectively using synchronous and asynchronous methods. Let your manager know how you’re progressing. Keep in touch with your colleagues by spending a short time each day engaging with them on the messaging apps and tools used by your company.

Request and be responsive to feedback. Ask for and be receptive to feedback. Be the first to check in with your manager about how working remotely is going. Ask what’s working and not working and come up with ideas for how to improve.

By monitoring your remote work arrangement, you’ll collect concrete data to help ensure you can keep working from home

Ensure remote work success with eight key steps

Follow this step-by-step guide on how to negotiate remote work. Consider eight key steps along with a few additional tips provided in this guide that will help you gain buy-in from your employer:

1. Assess your role and responsibilities
2. Research company policies
3. Gather supporting data
4. Prepare your proposal
5. Choose the right time to negotiate
6. Present your case effectively
7. Be flexible and open to compromise
8. Follow up after the meeting

Once you’ve completed these steps—and if you’ve negotiated a remote work arrangement—be sure to keep tabs on how it’s going. Monitor your productivity, remain in close communication with your work manager and team, and ask for and be receptive to feedback.

Working remotely can bring positive results, for both you and your company. Don’t hesitate to take action and use these eight steps for negotiating remote work arrangements.

Work remotely with Upwork

Now that you’ve been successful negotiating remote work, consider Upwork as a resource to help explore and navigate remote work opportunities. It’s easier than ever to find remote work on Upwork, as well as hire remote talent, thanks to Uma, Upwork’s Mindful AI.

Uma is tuned with Upwork platform data such as user profile information, job details, and proposal drafts. Look for support with:

Proposal Tips. Proposal Tips help you surface the skills that a job post specifically calls for and provide details that get you noticed to win work. Proposal tips are available to you as you are submitting a proposal on Upwork.

‍Upwork Chat Pro. Upwork Chat Pro works like a powerful project assistant, helping you brainstorm, review, analyze, write, code, and more for your projects on Upwork.

Find additional resources and articles on Upwork about remote work best practices including:

• Laptops to use
• Productivity when working from home
• Eco-friendly best practices
• Home office ergonomics
• Cybersecurity risk mitigation

Check out Upwork's platform for professional guidance as you work remotely, and to explore opportunities to work remotely with organizations looking to hire. Upwork is here to partner with you to support you and help you find success as a remote worker.