telecommuting request Forum

[Anonymous User]

I got an offer for a job that I really want. It would be great for my career and is my top choice. However, it is far away and would require uprooting my entire family, including children who are in school, to move. This situation sucks, it's a lose-lose either way.

The thing is, this job requires zero court appearances and is mostly just sitting behind a computer screen. I know I can do this work remotely, and maybe fly in from time to time, when necessary. I would even be willing to split my time 50/50 and travel back and forth, maybe a month here a month there.

I wish for them to let me telecommute so badly that I would be willing to take a cut in pay for that option!

I'm flexible about it and just want them to try to work something out with me. But I don't know what would be the most effective and convincing way to approach this with them

[4LTsPointingNorth]

You've gotten an offer so they want to hire you. If not being able to tele-commute is a dealbreaker for you and you don't need this job to survive, then you have a fair amount of bargaining power.

Send them a message to the effect that you are really excited about potentially working with them and think it is a really great fit. Then mention that you have geographical and familial constraints and would appreciate the freedom to settle on a working arrangement that is compatible with those. Hint, but don't offer, that arriving at such an arrangement may be a point of negotiation with respect to salary.

They may rescind the offer or expressly condition it on working in person at their offices every day. But it never hurts to try if you can afford to lose the offer.

[2013]

I would not ask about it if they specifically asked if you were willing to move for the job and you said yes.

Then it looks like you weren’t completely honest to them during your interview.

[nixy]

I think it's fair to raise it, but assuming the job posting didn't mention telecommuting as a possibility or it didn't come up in an interview, the reaction might well be "you knew where this job was located when you applied."