You may have been the teacher's pet when you were still in school, but the same rules don't necessarily apply in a serious work environment. As a professional, you're expected to follow company rules without complaint. You can't just ask if you can work from home, have your leave approved, or get flexible hours now, can you?

Apparently, you can! So, how do you convince your superior to grant you flexible hours, approve your four-day work week request, or allow you to telecommute? Here are a few tips:

(First published as "Work and Life! For your benefit in the "Work and Life" section of Good Housekeeping Philippines' August 2001 issue. Adapted for use in FemaleNetwork. Photo by Victor1558 via Flickr Creative Commons.)