If you are fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to work from home on a part-time basis, it is important to still connect with your boss and the company on a daily basis.

There are three vital reasons why this is important...

1. Trust.

It is often a big leap of faith for an employer to allow an employee to work from home. You may in fact be the very first one they have ever allowed, so you may be setting the bar for others to follow. Either way, it is important to let your boss know you appreciate working from home by providing him regular contact.

It doesn't mean that you have to be contacting your boss throughout the day; after all, you don't want to be seen as hassling from a distance. But you could send an e-mail at the beginning of the day outlining what you intend to achieve during the day. Then you could send one at the end of the day highlighting the status of your workload and how you went. If you have to send any e-mails to other co-workers, make sure you cc your boss. That way your boss will know the hours you are working. All of this will reinforce the trust that has been given to you in the first place.

2. Credibility 

This follows on from trust. You were the one who asked to work from home; now you have to show your worth in a different way. The spotlight is on you, now that you're working part-time from home. You must show your boss that you are capable of doing your job from home without any problems. Of course there might be a few minor, technical teething problems; everyone expects that. But with the actual job role, your boss will have an expectation that it will be done at least as well as it would be in the office, if not better. Your boss needs to see that this new arrangement does not interfere either with your job or his/hers. If you can prove this, your credibility will be intact... and so will your new working arrangement.

3. Keep Tabs on Yourself

Making twice daily e-mail updates or connecting with others in your company, is not just about impressing others that you can do your job from home; it's also about impressing yourself. Working from home is very different to working in an office environment. It is very easy to be distracted at home, whether that be a self-created distraction or one created by your children. Establishing regular work hours, communication and breaks within your day at home, similar to what you would keep in the office, is critical to being efficient in working from home. It's just as important to perceive yourself as being an efficient home worker as it is for your boss. This is the only way a home-work arrangement can truly be a success.