I was wasting hours commuting in LA traffic. Here's how I convinced my manager to let me work from home.

• Leslie Snipes secured approval from her manager to work remotely after struggling with her LA commute.
• She said she made the case for why working from home would benefit her personally and professionally.
• Working remotely has been a game changer for her, even though she misses some parts of office life.

This 'as-told-to' essay is based on a conversation with Leslie Snipes, a 34-year-old director of marketing at a Los Angeles-based creative agency who lives in Reseda, California. Her words been edited for length and clarity.

When I started my director of marketing job in January 2024, the expectation was that I'd work from the office at least once a week. But because I was in a director-level role, I felt a bit more obligated to show face.

For the first few months, I made the 30-mile, 60- to 90-minute commute to our Los Angeles office a couple of days a week. Over time, the commute began to take a toll on me. I was wasting hours a day sitting in LA traffic.

In April 2024, after weighing my options, I decided to speak with my manager and ask if I could work mostly from home — coming into the office only as needed, along with any travel obligations. My request was approved in less than a day.

How I made the case for work-from-home flexibility

I started the conversation with my manager by being transparent about my commute and the challenges it was creating for me. I would often arrive home feeling mentally drained, frustrated, or short-tempered after commuting, which affected my energy and overall well-being in the evenings. Additionally, the wear and tear on my car, along with the gas costs, were becoming outrageously expensive.

I also shared that I believed I'd be a better worker without the strain of the commute, because I could spend more time actually working rather than sitting in traffic. Most of the company's clients were based on the East Coast — rather than LA — so most of my work could be done remotely from my computer and through Zoom calls.

I emphasized my performance

From a team camaraderie perspective, some of our strongest bonding happened during travel and off-site projects, rather than in the office, so I noted that working remotely wouldn't take away from that sense of connection.

Overall, I emphasized that working from home would allow me to deliver my best work without compromising collaboration or team culture — and I think that approach was effective.

After speaking with my manager and another manager, they were very understanding and accommodating. Since my role involves some travel, the managers said they considered that to be a form of in-office time, as I'm still interacting with colleagues in person.

More than anything, they recognized that work-from-home flexibility would help me perform at a higher level — and they trusted me to deliver on that.

WFH has been a game changer — I'm glad I asked for it

The biggest perk of my work-from-home flexibility is that I feel much more efficient with my time — both personally and professionally. It gives me greater autonomy over my schedule, which helps me manage my workload more effectively and leaves me more energized and present when meeting with the team.

I'm also a bit of an introvert, and I find it harder to focus when I'm surrounded by a lot of people. I tend to get more distracted in the office than when I'm working alone. Now, instead of showing up to be "a body in the room," I can focus my energy on strategy, creative work, and client engagement.

Working from home has also reduced my stress, since I'm no longer spending hours in traffic just trying to get to work on time.

There are some things I miss about working in the office

Despite these benefits, I sometimes miss grabbing lunch and coffee with coworkers and talking about non-work-related things. When I'm working from home, I mostly interact on an as-needed basis, and there's less spontaneity with coworkers outside work.

I typically make the commute to the office once or twice a month to connect in person with my colleagues, in addition to whenever circumstances warrant it.

Overall, the shift has been a game changer for me — and it's a setup I wouldn't have if I hadn't asked.