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My current commute is just short of an hour (Wisconsin). My family is looking to move but houses that are less than 30 minutes from my company (technology) cost considerably more than where we currently live. I love my job and have no desire to leave, but the commute is exhausting at times (Wisconsin winters).

How should I approach my boss with this? Is it even a good idea?

enderland
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stackoverfloweth
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  • You really shouldn't. You'll save an hour a day.. What does the company tangibly gain from it? There isn't a good argument for it, thus you can only expect a "no". – cbll Jan 18 '17 at 14:27
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    Is your job able to be done remotely? If so, you could ask about tele-working options a couple days per week. – Neo Jan 18 '17 at 14:34
  • I'm not sure why this was getting downvotes, but I made a slight edit to focus it a bit more on what I think is your core question. If that changed intent too much feel free to [edit] and further clarify. – enderland Jan 18 '17 at 14:39

3 Answers3

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Generally, you need to phrase things in a way that benefits the company.

It's highly unlikely a conversation along these lines will get much interest from your boss. It also sets a bad precedent if they do allow a raise purely because you voluntarily move to a higher cost of living area.

Companies that have cost of living adjustments generally do this based on the company location, not employee location.

I would avoid directly asking your boss this.

Should I approach my boss with this?

What you can do is talk about your likely upcoming move and make mention of the higher cost of houses closer to work. You might be able to have this subject sort of come up naturally. Talk about how you want to live closer than 1 hour to work.

Once you've brought up the "we're thinking of moving to be closer to work" topic you also might have better luck if you mention the types of things your boss might be able to actually do to help with your commuting situation. "Hey, speaking of commuting, is there any chance I can X too?" Maybe you can work a 99999/99990 schedule. Or work from home a few days a week.

Once you are having a conversation about the subject, you could bring up a raise for moving closer casually. But don't expect anything.

You would have far better luck reading this question about asking for a raise and focusing on reasons you should have a raise other than where you choose to live.

Community
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enderland
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  • @JoeStrazzere I clarified a bit. – enderland Jan 18 '17 at 14:54
  • It is possible to spin a shorter commute as being beneficial for the company -- he'll be less tired, during work as well. And it makes it less likely that he leaves for another job. – RemcoGerlich Jan 18 '17 at 14:58
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    @RemcoGerlich it's still a bad precedent for the company to give raises for people moving closer to work. – enderland Jan 18 '17 at 16:00
  • @RemcoGerlich its also going down a slippery slope that OP will insinuate working more hours since now he is closer to the company, as a way of providing extra value to the company. – Leon Jun 22 '18 at 07:27
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You're looking at this the wrong way. You are looking to get a pay rise based on where you live. To be honest, that's your issue and not your employers issue and it's very likely they won't do that out of the kindness of their hearts.

Ask yourself the following:

  1. Are you good at your job?
  2. Are you currently underpaid for your role/level? (Check job sites etc)
  3. Is there something you have done recently that highlights how good and valuable you are to them?

If you can answer the above to yes, ask for a pay rise. You don't need to mention the house/the move. You need to show your boss that you are worth more than you are currently getting. The reasons for asking are irrelevant.

As @enderland said, there are plenty of questions about asking for pay rises. Read those and use the tips in those answers.

Andrew Berry
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The answer to your question is NO, its not a good idea.

There is no motivation for the employer to pay you more because you want to shorten your commute. You accepted the position with the company, and unless the company has moved, you don't really have a leg to stand on.

Having said that, you could approach them with tele-work, if your job is able to be done remotely.

Joe Strazzere
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Neo
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