Reasons for working from home

[slalomsuki]

I started a job during the first lockdown and I have been gone based since I started over 18 months ago. My contract says I work at a non-specific location in a nearby city which would be at premises not owned by my company. My employers office is over 200 miles from where I live and there was no expectation that I relocate to that office as my role has me dealing with customers all over the country, mostly by phone and teams meetings.

I have managed to get a promotion and I have asked if the new contract could be amended from the non-specific location to reflect I work from home. I have been asked to meet with HR to justify this so they can understand my logic and reasons for this request and wondered if there were any suggestions how I could justify this request.

There are no real work-life balance issues as I would retain flexibility over my own schedule it would just remove the requirement to negotiate with a customer for the use of a desk/office at their premises in the local city and would actually free up more time to deal with other customers and not worry about confidentiality from being based at one and discussing another.

Well you’ve mentioned the benefit in your original post! You can also mention better mental health and productivity if you feel WFH has those benefits for you

I would probably request that it's primarily home based with the caveat that there maybe need to work elsewhere SO HR feel they're bases are covered too.
Do you log working hours? If not, you can say this ensures that you can focus on work for those additional hours rather than wasted in commute.
Explain that there's no real tangible difference for the organisation but offers you insurance.

Reassurances even.

There's a big difference between a working from home contract and a flexible place or working contract. The company most likely won't want to give you a WFH contract as they'd have to pay for any travel expenses (travel, food, hotels, etc.) the second you leave home.

Speak to HR and find out exactly what they're offering and how that compares to what you want/need.

@ChoiceMummy

I would probably request that it's primarily home based with the caveat that there maybe need to work elsewhere SO HR feel they're bases are covered too. Do you log working hours? If not, you can say this ensures that you can focus on work for those additional hours rather than wasted in commute. Explain that there's no real tangible difference for the organisation but offers you insurance.

There’s a MASSIVE tangible difference for the organisation. See the post above. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I work in HR and the above PP is correct, when a worker has an official homeworking contract then the employer has to fulfil additional duties, for example paying for any travel to offices for meetings but also that extra location places an additional cost usually on insurance for the organisation as you're additing on an additional working location on top of the company office(s). We also then have additional responsibilities in terms of PAT testing equipment etc/other health and safety matters.

It doesn't mean you can't have homeworking contracts but I'm just explain what HR may be thinking. In most cases we've written into contracts that the "official" place of work is X (an office) but that the member of staff will be predominantly home based.

Thanks for all your responses here.

I already get equipment supplied and PAT tested for use at home and can claim expenses for any physical visits that I do even to the local city as they haven't specified a site in particular that I should work from. We generally get lunch as part of any visit also provided by the customer.

I don't have to go to the head office for meetings as all the team that I work with are remote also-not due to the pandemic but due to the type of work we have.

Effectively there is no change to the way and where I would work but I asked if it could be formalised as part of the new contract.