Q. I have worked at a midsize online apparel company for 10 years as an analyst on their social media and marketing development team. As a T2 paraplegic, I would get up at 5:30 a.m. for my two-hour morning bowel and shower routine and leave by 8 a.m. to commute to the office. With a nine-hour work day and another 30-minute drive home, I had a recipe for exhaustion. Then COVID happened and, like my team, I began working exclusively from home. My routine changed dramatically. Without a commute, I can sleep until 6:30 a.m., begin working by 9 a.m. and finish by 6 p.m. I feel like a new, more rested, healthier person. I accomplish my work within established deadlines, and for the first time in years, I have energy for extracurricular activities.
My manager recently sent an email strongly encouraging everyone on our 11-person team to return to the office. I do not want to go back to my earlier grind, but I feel pressure, especially because everyone else on the team is returning. I found that working from home did not affect the quality of my work and improved my productivity, but I’m concerned about being excluded — and possibly punished — if I am the only one working remotely. I don’t technically need accommodation because of my disability, and I don’t want to abuse the “disability card,” but I’d really like to remain working remotely. Should I be direct with my boss and tell him that I want to continue teleworking? Do I go back to the office and just “suck it up” because others are?
A. Your experience is not unique. Many places of work are encouraging staff to return to the office. Even employees without disabilities have found advantages to working from home. For you, your productivity and quality of life have improved. These are important factors to consider.
While your company apparently strongly encourages in-person work, it does not seem to be mandated. You should schedule a meeting with your manager, ideally in person, to explain your situation and why you would prefer to continue working remotely. This will also give you a chance to hear why he/she is pushing for staff to return to the office. Use the meeting to address those reasons and make your case for why it’s in everyone’s best interests for you to continue working from home. If it feels appropriate, don’t hesitate to share how your SCI affects your schedule, but make sure to focus on your increased productivity and mental health. Every good boss wants productive, happy workers.
If there is a specific project for which your supervisor wants everyone back in the office, consider suggesting a hybrid schedule, like coming in for certain project-oriented meetings and events, but working remotely the rest of the time. Stress that you want to remain as flexible as you can for the good of the team. You might also suggest partial telework schedules — “x” number of days in the office each pay period, alternating weeks of in-person attendance, or once a week in-person meetings. Remember, you are the only one that can judge how these options will impact your health and well-being.
If all of your proposals are met with resistance, it may be worth raising this to a higher level in the company or consulting with human resources — especially if after meeting with your manager you still fear some form of retribution, should you decide to keep working from home.
Working remotely is a new concept for many people, and adjusting to a new work paradigm can take time. Hopefully, your boss and place of work will listen to your request and see the benefits of it. If you feel they are still pressuring you, it may be a sign of deeper issues with your job. If your current employer doesn’t see the value in a happy, healthy, remote-working you, chances are better than ever that another employer will, thanks in part to the pandemic. How you balance your job and your personal health is up to you.
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Great insights on some very real distinctions between SCI staff and the general population of colleagues. These life advantages are critical for this person to consider and I agree wholeheartedly with the approach NM is suggesting for raising the topic with her manager.