Are you interested in working remotely?
Today you’ll learn how to communicate with your boss that you want to work from home.
We’ll share how to give assurance that you won’t compromise your productivity.
With today’s strategies and phrases, you’ll be ready to request flexibility with your work location!
What is a hush trip?
Michelle asks Lindsay if she has ever heard of a hush trip?
Lindsay has never heard of this before.
In today’s episode, Lindsay and Michelle are going to talk about what this is and why it’s becoming a trend.
This new trend has made things tricky in the workplace.
Today’s topic is inspired by an article by Cloe Collahan of www.worklife.news.
The article’s title is WTF is a hush trip? (and why HR needs to know about it)
Lindsay and Michelle often talk about business trends on the Business English podcast.
You can check out episode BE 252: Change Your Mind and Pivot in Business English.
This episode teaches vocabulary you can use to express yourself about changing your mind at work.
According to the article, a hush trip is when a person works somewhere other than their normal work from home setup.
They take a trip and work in that place without mentioning it to their workplace or boss.
Is a hush trip acceptable?
Lindsay shares that work from home has become a big thing since the pandemic.
Especially in America, the hybrid model is pretty common.
If considering this, you need the vocabulary to request a hybrid or work from home setup.
The article mentions that if you feel you can’t tell your employer you’re working away from home, there’s an issue.
If you feel it should be kept from them, that’s a red flag.
However, if it’s routine, you may not always need to mention it.
There are workplaces and company cultures that allow flexibility.
HR policies
HR policies can help lay the ground rules around safety, cyber safety and tax implications for a work-from-home setup.
Michelle asks if it would bother Lindsay to find out Michelle was recording a podcast episode while she was on a beach.
Lindsay answers that if background noise or distractions weren’t an issue, it wouldn’t bother her.
As long as they get to record the episode properly and with good quality, she’s fine with it.
So much is changing in the workplace and we are finding out new areas of what is and isn’t acceptable.
Quality of work is key
Most of the time, it doesn’t matter where you are when churning out work.
As long as you produce the output needed from you, it shouldn’t be a problem.
However, it’s vital to stick with what your company allows.
You can take a vacation if you need to and be fully disconnected.
Be sure to communicate well with your work and supervisor.
If this is a setup they support, then go ahead.
If not, definitely abide with the rules.
The last thing you want to do is to break the trust given to you by your employer.
Roleplay
Here are a couple of roleplays from Lindsay and Aubrey to show how you can bring up a more flexible work setup with your superior.
Roleplay #1:
In this scenario, Michelle is thinking of taking a trip to Florida and will work while she’s there. She wants to share that with her superior, Lindsay.
Michelle: Hi Lindsay. I’m thinking of getting some sun in Florida. Do you mind if I work from there next week?
Lindsay: Not at all! As long as you can get your work done, we’re good.
Michelle: Thanks!
Roleplay #2:
In this scenario, Lindsay is looking to work in Jamaica for a month and is sharing this with her superior, Michelle.
Lindsay: Michelle, would it be ok with you if I worked from Jamaica next month?
Michelle: Umm.. for a whole month? You might need to ask HR about that.
Lindsay: Oh good point. I will.
Share all necessary details
Remember to communicate complete details when raising this to your boss.
Don’t make them fish for information when having the conversation.
You want to keep their trust, so sharing everything they need to know is vital.
Address any foreseeable problems to make the conversation successful.
Takeaway
Work setups are changing and a hush trip is even an option nowadays.
It’s a very modern work setup and what can seem as normal for most may not be applicable to your own workplace.
It’s important to know how you can communicate that you want to work remotely for a certain period of time.
You also need to communicate this well so you don’t lose the trust of your employer.
Is this type of work setup something you’d be interested in doing?
We’d love to hear your thoughts below.
