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Im a intern at a smalll coding company for about 5 months now and Im doing pretty good working there, but Im taking about 3 hours to get there and home (about 1:30h per trip).

Since all the communication is done via Slack and we have a good system that allows some of the employees to work in home office, I was wondering how to aproach my boss with the idea, since they already know Im responsible and can work in such system as I have worked some times when I got sick.

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    Related, possible dupe: How should I bring up working from home?
    – David K
    May 5, 2017 at 19:40
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    Honestly though, if you are only an intern I would not expect to get this approved. You have only been a the company for 5 months and there is still a lot for you to learn. If I were the manager I wouldn't want you telecommuting more than a day or two a week. Aside from that, if this is a temporary internship, there's no benefit for the company to allow you to work from home - they don't lose much if you quit. I'd just tough it out until your internship is over.
    – David K
    May 5, 2017 at 19:43
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    @Paz - You're NOT an employee. You're an intern. Your job is to learn as much as it is to participate. You may think you are just as self-motivated and self-managed as veteran employees, but that in itself indicates you have a lot left to learn, yet.
    – Wesley Long
    May 5, 2017 at 20:23
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    @Paz - You don't learn as much remotely as you do in an office. You cannot absorb anywhere as much context remotely as you do in the office. You can believe you will all you want to. If you didn't want the commute, you shouldn't have accepted the internship. I don't believe they misled you as to the distance.
    – Wesley Long
    May 5, 2017 at 22:53
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    I'm not being cocky. I'm being honest. I've made my points. I'm way too old to be worried about ruffling the feathers of an intern. You want to learn something, show up to the office. Remote work is for employees / contractors who have already developed the skills necessary to work remotely.
    – Wesley Long
    May 5, 2017 at 23:03

3 Answers 3

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I totally get your travel issue and how that is annoying, but an internship is designed specifically for you to be in a setting where you will grow and benefit more than the company expecting you to produce results. It's meant to try on the environment in a way you can learn and the company can see what you are like and if they are interested in hiring you afterwards.

Trying to do this remotely almost defeats the purpose of the internship as you no longer are around all the people who you would learn from and are isolated on your own. Sure you can IM questions, but you miss the environment similar to getting a degree remotely, you get the degree, but you don't "experience" college/university. The company doesn't get to experience you either...

You can always ask, but I wouldn't expect it to go really well.

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    The main thing is to ask, not demand, and be prepared to take "No" for an answer.
    – Patricia Shanahan
    May 6, 2017 at 3:31
  • Not sure that even asking is advisable, as that suggests that the asker doesn't appreciate the difference between an intern and an employee...
    – Gwyn Evans
    May 6, 2017 at 8:11
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    Asking should be fine, as long as they aren't presumptive about it. Maybe they find a compromise where they come in three days a week and work from home on the other days.
    – Llewellyn
    May 6, 2017 at 11:53
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Don't do this. Your position is one that's supposed to be closely supervised and directed, and it's set up for you to learn not only technical skills but also company culture (and can potentially lead to a job in the organization). It's not in your benefit to try to start out as a lone wolf.

Companies need team players on staff, and five months doesn't really show anyone that you're interested in being one. By asking, you might be screwing yourself out of a good thing. Then again, you might not care! But be conscious of your choice.

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It's a tech company, and if it's a great tech company then as long as you are talented they should not give a crap BUT don't go sneaking off and working for someone else, you WILL get found out. Assure them you will be available at ALL times and work even longer and harder to prove yourself. Get a separate phone, put it in a red case and tell them this will be the hotline if anything is ever urgent you will be on it like white on rice. Whether you're in the bathroom or the shower, whatever, you will answer. Bring your own device to show commitment. It is great to work from wherever you want if you get the chance. Just first show them your talents, work extra hard for free. Get stuff done, take charge, make progress and be the very best employee they have ever seen.

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