Is there any way to negotiate for temporary relocation?

[SeductivePig]

I've been working as a consultant for nearly 7 years now, 6 years have been at my client location. I have been the sole point of contact at this client, basically a liaison, and also did 90% of the technical work.

Thing is, I would like to relocate about 5 hours away to live with my parents for 6-7 months due to financial issues (need to pay off debt), and work from home. Right now I work from home maybe twice a week. I may consider driving back to my client once every 2 weeks (about a 5 hour drive), or asking my company to pay for flight + hotel, just to show my face at the client site. Most weeks there is not much communication between me and the client anyways, just emails.

Now, at this point in time this is a completely baseless request - but my company is the type that really needs long term employees, and I'm one of them. I don't want to leave the company just yet.

Is there any valid reason I can give to them to allow this? I'm thinking of saying that my parents are grieving the loss of a few family members (this is true) and that I want to support them for a while (this is also true, but not the primary motivation).

 

[SeductivePig]

Bump

 

[CountZero]

I'm not a consultant so I can't answer from that view per se.

But if the client wants you onsite I'm guess this is a very hard sell.

Assuming the client is ok with this arrangement the next is convincing your employer. I know that at my last company if you want to work remotely from anywhere but the main office you were responsible for getting yourself to the office on some set schedule agreed upon with your manager. So I can imagine the company balking at paying to fly and house you every couple weeks (though I also thought it petty to allow you work remotely but then not fully enable it...).

I don't think you should "dress it up" with dramatic reasons for doing this. Just be straight forward. If they reject it so be it, if they accept so be it. If this is very important to you and they reject then you can leave or not. If you threaten to leave you better follow through, they will follow through on replacing you. If they counter offer you can work remotely after you get another job don't take it.

Good luck.

 

[BoomerD]

Since you want to make the change, I wouldn’t think so. If the company was snding you to a new location that required you to relocate, you might have an argument for compensation...but this? I doubt it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I doubt it, you have to ask yourself what's in it for the company, if it's nothing, then they won't have any reason to want to do it.