https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 02:42:18 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557989 Fri, 27 May 2016 08:32:08 +0000 CakeLady 2557989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: thanks! I'll take a look at the insurance website and see if there are some options for doctors in Atlanta. Now that I think of it, my company has sales people that are based all over the country, so I would imagine that the network offers coverage in other states. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557976 Fri, 27 May 2016 08:21:37 +0000 avivoca 2557976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am not a remote worker, but at my previous job I worked at a newspaper in our state but our insurance was BCBS Alabama because the parent company was based in Birmingham. As far as finding care, it wasn't usually out of network, but I did have to be careful. I usually tried to stay in our town because the hospital/doctors would take that insurance but some out of town wouldn't. It's basically a big thing of looking on the website and seeing which doctors/hospitals/specialists they cover in your area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557964 Fri, 27 May 2016 08:14:54 +0000 CakeLady 2557964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mama Bird: @Miss Ariel: @Mrs. High Heels: @sunny: @Pollywog: @runnerd: @kodybear: @Amorini: @looch: Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of this with me! I really appreciate the information and your help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557862 Fri, 27 May 2016 06:22:09 +0000 looch 2557862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My situation is kind of remote...meaning I work in a satellite location 3 days a week and commute to the office 2 days a week. I am technically not remote using the definition of working at home and using a token to log into the network, but that option was on the table until we found this solution. It's been 4 years and I am still happy with the arrangement.</p> <p>I live in one state and work in another and there have never been any tax issues that I was aware of. It's annoying because I have to file federal, state living and state work tax, but it's nothing that TurboTax can't figure out.</p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557804 Thu, 26 May 2016 23:42:42 +0000 Amorini 2557804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CakeLady: Congrats on your DH's offer! I saw the update on the other thread!</p> <p>A little background: I was in a similar situation as you before we moved. I was the breadwinner and had the good benefits. I loved the work but just had a very difficult relationship with my supervisor. It was ME who needed to change jobs but we couldn't afford me making inevitably less. So when DH got an offer across the country for a better position and higher pay, we knew it was an opportunity for us to rebalance the bread winning (make it more 50/50) and make us both happier at our jobs. </p> <p>When I announced our move to my supervisor, I told her I would be willing to work remotely while they searched for someone. I also hoped there might be a way for them to keep me, just in a different department (and supervisor), although I knew it would be a long shot. To my surprise, my supervisor pursued the remote work idea and I ended up doing it for 4 months, which included training the new person. </p> <p>The whole arrangement worked out great for me because I kept my full salary and benefits for those months (while DH started making more) and we stockpiled $ for when I would be eventually unemployed. (I was planning on a little break if nothing worked out with the other departments.) So even if it doesn't work out as a long-term remote situation, it could help you out and ease the transition in the short-term.</p> <p>So your questions:<br /> - My company had a formal telecommuting policy and also forms/paperwork. I never had to do the paperwork. (Basically the forms were just about agreeing the situation could change if it wasn't working out.) Regarding giving them a proposal, I had the conversation with my supervisor first and then followed that up with an email proposal of what / where / when, etc. so it could go up the food chain for approval.</p> <p>I was willing to travel back monthly. At first they liked this and thought I would be needed a few times, then at least once, then never. It was weird because I was kinda treated as non-essential at the end, but oh well. They would have paid for everything.</p> <p>About insurance, we were in a large network PPO so no change there. No issues.</p> <p>Going out of state, accounting had to run my salary through new state's taxes and you'll end up doing two state returns if the change happens in the middle of a tax year. Most (all?) states have reciprocity but your net may change depending on what your new state's taxes are.</p> <p>Sorry my response is so long! I really hope something works out!</p> <p>- </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557793 Thu, 26 May 2016 22:43:06 +0000 kodybear 2557793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did you put together a formal proposal when you inquired about remote work? Nope, i just had a phone conversation with my manager about it</p> <p>How often do you travel to the office (if you do?) 2 days a week</p> <p>When you travel to the office does the company cover travel expenses or do you? no. i'm not sure i would qualify for help unless i worked full time from home</p> <p>If you live in a different state than the company, how does the health insurance work? Are you out of network? our health insurance is already based out of a different state. we're still able to find providers that are in network. (we are BCBS of IL and i'm able to find in network providers in CA)</p> <p>My manager was easy to work with on this. a couple members from my team already work from home full time. i only wanted to work from home a couple days a week so he was okay with it. it helped that he doesn't work in our office either tho. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557782 Thu, 26 May 2016 22:13:55 +0000 runnerd 2557782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was hired in as remote, and lived two hours away. I came to the office once every 1-3 months. They would have paid my expenses (they do for further away employees), but I had family in the area, didn't need rental car, etc. The out of state employees usually come in twice a year.</p> <p>ETA: when you approach your boss, I'd just make sure to establish that you will have dedicated workspace, work hours, daycare etc, because those tend to be the big fears of employers about remote work </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557780 Thu, 26 May 2016 22:13:17 +0000 Pollywog 2557780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work remotely 4 days a week. I'm out of state, but 4 miles from the office.</p> <p>When I was 8 months pregnant we switched offices to a place without enough desks. I proposed to go remote and come in for important meetings. I would be available virtually and would ensure I'd stagger my telework to have a visible presence in my office.</p> <p>I put together an informal proposal-- I believe my email was "Just saying...I'd be happy to solve the space issue by working in yoga pants on my couch 4 days a week". We talked through logistics afterwards.</p> <p>I have national health insurance through my DH's job. My agency offers employees nationwide health insurance as an option.</p> <p>My company pays my travel. It's my commuting subsidy. They also gave me a laptop and promised me a cell phone.</p> <p>My state has reciprocity for taxes, so there's no issue there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557760 Thu, 26 May 2016 21:35:22 +0000 sunny 2557760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't work remotely but I work with a few people who moved away and started telecommuting. IIRC, there were some issues regarding taxes. You might want to do some research to figure out if there's anything special your employer needs to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557734 Thu, 26 May 2016 21:00:06 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 2557734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Congratulations to you and your husband! I saw your update on the other thread, and it's so awesome how they stepped up and offered him a permanent position. :happy: I hope your company will give you the option to telecommute!</p> <p>Did you put together a formal proposal when you inquired about remote work? Not quite - telecommuting is common in my company, so there is already a formal telecommute agreement in my company. If a manager approves you for telecommute status... he/she just submits the request through an online portal to get the telecommute status pushed through. Then you fill out a form, and e-sign it. It then goes through two levels of management for approval. Once you're approved, they get you setup with everything needed for telecommuting, including broadband setup in your home, and all office equipment shipped to your home (headset, keyboard, monitors, laptop, etc). </p> <p>How often do you travel to the office (if you do?) - No more than once a quarter for on-sites and team building stuff. </p> <p>When you travel to the office does the company cover travel expenses or do you? Company covers all food and travel expenses.</p> <p>If you live in a different state than the company, how does the health insurance work? Are you out of network? (DH's new employer offers HORRIBLE insurance.) - they have different insurance options depending on what state you reside in. We have offices all over the country, but headquarters are based in Minnesota. </p> <p>Miss Ariel brings up a good point about time zones. Before, I was based in the same time zone as my department, but recently transitioned to a new role where most of my team will be in the Central time zone (I'm Pacific)... so I asked some questions about expectations, like would they prefer I be logged on at 8 am Central?</p> <p>Can't think of much else, but all the best to you guys! :goodluck: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557612 Thu, 26 May 2016 19:10:55 +0000 Miss Ariel 2557612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do t work remotely but a few people in my department do. They normally wind up traveling to our home office 2 or 3 times a year. When they travel the company pays for expenses, flights, hotel, food, etc...</p> <p>For health insurance, (and dental, vision) we use companies with a large nationwide network so there should, hopefully, be in network providers available.</p> <p>I think one thing to think about if your in a different time zone is when specifically you'd actually be working. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557512 Thu, 26 May 2016 17:20:57 +0000 Mama Bird 2557512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I worked remotely for a few months after my maternity leave. No formal proposal, I called my boss and asked if this is ok, reassured her that I'll be just as responsive to clients as if I'm in the office, and told her that I'll still do the field visits I need to do my job. </p> <p>I had to travel maybe once or twice a week, because my work involves a lot of inspections - if it was just a meeting, I set up a conference call. I was still in the same city, so the issue of travel costs and health networks never came up.</p> <p>I know a few people in my company who moved to other states and kept working. For a few of them it's a short term thing while they look for local work and train someone else, but one girl has been doing it for years and I don't see it affecting her work at all. We have a really strong remote network and can do pretty much anything over it that can be done from the office. I don't know how the insurance logistics worked for them though... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/questions-for-bees-who-work-remotely#post-2557406 Thu, 26 May 2016 15:53:26 +0000 CakeLady 2557406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband just got a job offer out of state and we are most likely going to go for it. I LOVE my job though and want to talk to my boss about working remotely. We have some contract employees who do it (I am full time, permanent) and we have two office locations so I am often working in a different place than my colleagues. </p> <p>I am really curious about how other people's remote work situations are set up and have lots of questions:</p> <p>Did you put together a formal proposal when you inquired about remote work?</p> <p>How often do you travel to the office (if you do?)</p> <p>When you travel to the office does the company cover travel expenses or do you?</p> <p>If you live in a different state than the company, how does the health insurance work? Are you out of network? (DH's new employer offers HORRIBLE insurance.)</p> <p>I'm sure there are a million other things I haven't thought of yet, anything else I should be thinking about?</p> <p>Thanks you bees! </p>