Most of us think a meaningful event needs to be in person. But in-person meetings are just one way to realize the shared outcomes of gatherings. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations were moving away from in-person meetings. Reasons included ecological sustainability, a desire for increased total attendance, the challenges and costs of travel logistics, disruption to regular work, and life/work balance. And right now, with no end in sight, events aren’t getting ‘postponed’ due to COVID-19 — many are canceling altogether.

The following is a template for creating your own letter to colleagues and supervisors about your proposal for working remotely. It’s a tactical approach to handling the basics of your workspace, impacts on your workload and availability. It includes best practices for productivity, collaboration and connection that come from years of experience from remote workers around the world. You could also ‘flip’ this letter if you are a decision-maker on remote work to give people guidelines on what they should expect and do.