Make the request about the cost of doing the job
A remote-work stipend is easiest to discuss when it is tied to specific expenses rather than framed as a general perk. Start by separating ongoing costs—such as extra electricity or internet use—from one-time purchases, such as a desk, monitor, or chair. That distinction helps clarify whether you are asking for a recurring allowance, reimbursement for a particular item, or both.
Bring a short, realistic estimate. Receipts can support equipment costs; a simple explanation of recurring expenses can show why a one-time payment would not address them. The goal is not to claim that every household bill is a work expense, but to identify the additional costs that come from doing your job at home.
Connect the request to the employer’s tradeoff
When a company reduces office space, it may spend less on desks, utilities, and other shared facilities. Some costs do not disappear; they shift to employees’ homes. That does not automatically mean the employer owes a particular amount, but it gives the discussion a business rationale: a stipend can help make the remote-work arrangement workable while the company benefits from using less office space.
Keep the proposal concrete. For example, ask whether the company can cover a defined equipment purchase, provide a recurring amount for home-office costs, or explain what its existing policy allows. A specific request gives a manager something they can evaluate or take to the people who control the budget.
Use the review to get a decision—or a path to one
Performance reviews are useful because they already involve a discussion of how your work is structured and what you need to keep doing it well. Raise the expense separately from praise or a pay increase: a stipend addresses work-related costs, while compensation recognizes the value of your labor. Treating them as distinct requests makes it harder for one to be mistaken for the other.
If the answer is no, ask what documentation, approval, or policy change would make the request possible, and when it could be revisited. Even without an immediate payment, that turns an informal household expense into a specific workplace issue with a next step.
