Ask ReproJobs: How do I get my employer to extend remote work?
Dear ReproJobs,
During the COVID-19 pandemic, our entire Washington, DC-based repro organization transitioned to remote work and I've been working from a different state for almost a year now. Though our teams have been effective in a remote capacity, HR has made it clear that they don't intend to allow employees the option to remote work once the office reopens. However, there are currently employees with remote work arrangements in certain states while other states won't be considered given the differing tax and employment law situations in each state. How can I get our HR director on board with allowing this as an option from any state in the US?
— Doing virtually anything, DC
Dear Doing Virtually Anything,
This is a tough situation that a lot of people are in right now. Many HR departments are eager to get back to "normal," i.e. forcing everyone to be in an office, as soon as possible, even though a) we have no idea when that will be safe and what will make it safe, b) there is no "normal" anymore, and c) many people now want to continue working remotely and can fully do their jobs remotely.
Our first question: do you have a union? This is exactly the kind of issue that unions are made for -- taking employee concerns to management in such a way that discourages retaliation against employees and presents management with a solution. The issues that you bring up (tax and employment law in other states) are real but not impossible to overcome. Many organizations already had all-remote organizations pre-pandemic -- we're thinking, for example, of the Abortion Care Network, All* Above All, ReproAction, All-Options, and many others. Perhaps this is an opportunity for your organization's leadership to connect with leaders there to figure out how to manage these legal and logistical questions. This is a matter of employee retention and satisfaction, not just equity in who gets to work from home and for how long.
With that said, there's no way to make your employer do this, even though it's effectively been working for the last few months/year. If you don't have a union, one strategy might be organizing your coworkers around this issue. You won't have the job protections that a union affords, so, to be clear, you might be putting your jobs at risk in bringing this to management's attention. There may be a way you can do this with as large a group of staff as possible, and explain why you want to continue working remotely, the barriers you see to doing so, and the solutions you propose to overcoming those barriers. Yep, some extra work for you, but going in with a group of coworkers makes it clear that you're not the only one who wants this policy change, and that the organization stands to lose a significant number of employees (or retain some unhappy ones) if they decide not to move forward with this shift.
True, the organization may not consider your memo at all. Another course of action might be quietly investigating if peer organizations in similar situations are allowing employees to continue working remotely, and add that to your letter. No organization wants to be left behind in terms of the benefits it offers employees -- if you can show that organizations similar to yours are implementing this policy, that may help convince management/leadership that they should be on track to do this same.
We hope this helps and that you continue being able to work remotely and do your job in the way that works best for you. Good luck!