Worried About This Week
When it rains, it pours, but I would appreciate feedback because I'm worried that I'm going to be let go from my new position. Let me explain:
My teenage son was scheduled for oral surgery (wisdom teeth extraction) this morning at 9 AM (Tuesday). I made arrangements with my manager that I would work remotely today. Last night, my car (our only car) suddenly broke down on the way home. Suddenly we had no transportation and we had to be at the dental office. No cancellation.
So, while we had the car towed to our house, we had to use Uber to get to the dental office. Cheaper than a taxi and a good experience. We got home around noon, put woozy son to bed, got the car towed to the dealership, got a rental car and came home. All the while, I am working as much as I can from my laptop.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), my wife absolutely has to be at a medical appointment in another town. Our son is sleeping away, looking like a chipmunk with swollen cheeks. I thought about taking the bus into work at the butt-crack of dawn and having my wife drive the rental to her appointment. BUT....she's not familiar with the new car and I just know that by taking the bus home, I will never make it in time to return the rental car and pick up my repaired car. It's just not going to happen.
So I emailed my manager and wrote that I have to work remotely again tomorrow. I sent him an email earlier saying that that might be a possibility but I would keep him updated. I haven't heard back from him. I'm worried that he'll think I'm too unreliable or something. But when you're a one car household and the car suffers a major issue (it's a $1000 repair), things happen.
Thoughts?
Jim -
I totally empathisize with your situation. A couple of well-placed questions: 1. How long have you been employed with your current employer? 2. Does your Company have a formal telecommute policy? What discussions have you had with your manager about telecommuting prior to these incidents?
Life happens and a good manager would understand some hiccups. However, the manager also has a first duty to ensuring goals and objectives are met and to minimize disruption to operations. You have that same responsibility in a sense, and moreover, in managing your perceived value to the organization now and in the future. While your request may have no immediate effect, it could have longer-term implications for your career with that company.
My suggestion is this: pick up the phone, talk live with your boss and work out a solution that is mutually agreeable. Secondly, I would do everything in my power to be at the office. I'm assuming your wife has a DL and should be able to help you coordinate logistics in driving and returning the rental. Perhaps you could make after hour arrangements with the repair shop and solicit help from a neighbor to get that done.
I'm sure your employer will look favorably upon your efforts.
Show that your willing to go the extra mile in some other way. Offer to come into the office over the weekend or work part of the weekend. If you know that their is a project deadline he is worried about you missing show how you will put in the extra time/effort to make sure you make that deadline. Try to think about what he might be struggling with or is bothering him. Does he have extra paperwork he needs to do or task that need to be done that you could take on? If you ask what else you can do you may come across as understanding your bosses stress of you not being there.