Do you have too much work on your plate? And you often feel frustrated and tired because of it. Here’s how you can tell your boss that you have too much work to do.
We know that specific concerns surround you when looking for a solution. How will my boss react? Will he see me as subpar? Will I let him down, and will I disappoint him?
These concerns are valid, but you have all the right to think of yourself too. Therefore, take a break from work overload and plan out an easy solution.
12 Easy Ways To Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work
Get down to basics and say it straightforward: you have too much work so that you can do only some of it.
We understand that your boss might be too busy, and you might feel overwhelmed in ways more than one. But it is essential to tell them beforehand to know what to expect.
It will also help them plan and rethink where they stand when assigning tasks.
To make it as straightforward as possible, consider the following things beforehand:
1. Brainstorm Before You Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work:
Brainstorm a few phrases that you can use to tell your boss. You don’t want to go into a long explanation of why you’re overloaded but rather present it briefly and move on.
Please make a list of all the tasks you do and how they temper your mental and physical health.
2. Practice A Few Times Before Telling Your Boss You Have Too Much Work
You want to present your case effectively, so practice telling it.
Line up why you’re overloaded and who’s at fault for the overload; your boss, their boss, or maybe even yourself.
3. Think Of A Solution Beforehand:
How can you tell your boss you have much work to do? You can tell that by offering solutions to the problem.
Not only will this make your statements credible, but your boss will be able to trust you too.
4. Consider Their Side Of The Story:
Think about your boss’s side of things. Your work is essential, but he has his own family and hobbies, after all.
Think about how much work he can handle at once, and try to match your workload with that.
5. Prepared To Getting Rejection:
Be prepared to get rejection. Even if you present the best-case scenario, it doesn’t guarantee that your boss will accept it.
After all, they might have their reasons for not doing so. An excellent way to resolve this is to make a meeting with them and explain your situation calmly.
6. Try A Meeting To Explain Your Boss You Have Too Much Work:
A meeting is the best way to present your case to your boss, especially if they can’t understand what’s going on.
You can get more time to explain why you’re overloaded in a personal meeting. You can tell your boss what they can do to help you focus on things that matter more.
7. Tell Them When It’s Not Just Work:
Telling your boss that you’re overloaded can be easy, but it might be a bit harder if it does not just work. If something is affecting your personal life, then explain how it affects you at work.
A good example would be being overwhelmed because of personal issues. Another example would be that you have been sick, and it is the doctor’s advice to rest.
One more instance would be that you just had a baby and have to help your family.
8. Be Assertive And Direct:
Your boss is, after all, your boss. You won’t worry about the reaction he will give. Therefore, try to be assertive and direct.
Do not lose confidence, or you might lose the chance of getting out of this hell load of work.
9. Be Firm And Polite:
You cannot be unprofessional when talking to your boss following the title.
You can not say things like:
“Excuse, me but you do not consider that I have too much work to do, find a solution as soon as possible, or I will collapse.”
Instead, you should be polite and consider the hierarchy. You can say something like this: “Sir, I feel overwhelmed due to the load of work on my hands.
It will be an exceptional help if you find me an excellent solution to it.” Do not argue with your boss, but instead try to talk to him politely. You will have better chances of getting heard.
10. Be Calm And Collected:
You fear the response you can get, or you are very worried. But calm down. You can not say anything that will cost you.
Do not say, “I can not do this; I am agitated and worried. (stating issues and only issues).”
Do not be over-emotional if you want the conversation to be constructive. If you are, then practice calming yourself down.
In the end, it will benefit you. And you won’t sound complaining but genuinely concerned.
11. Be Respectful Of Their Time:
Your boss might have a lot of work to do himself, so respecting their time is essential.
It would help if you tried to keep the meeting short by stating precisely three elements:
-What your workload is
-How you can provide a solution to it
-Why do you feel the need to discuss it with your boss.
12. Offer Alternatives To Tell Your Boss You Have Much Work To Do:
Like the solutions, you can think of the alternatives before the meeting.
For example, rather than doing the less important work, you can ask for work that is a priority at the moment.
And rather than doing all work by yourself, you can ask for an assistant. Also, you can ask for overtime and overtime pay.
Think of all alternatives that can help you relax and state them before your boss.
4 Effective Things To Do When You Have Too Much Work
Talking to your boss when you have loads of work is witty. But there can be several ways to help yourself when you have too much work. These can be:
1. Be Proactive In Asking For Help:
Instead of waiting for the final minute to burn out, be proactive and as for help. You can ask your colleagues who have less work to assist you.
Or, if you have a team under you, you can divide your tasks according to your team’s skills. If you are junior-most, you can ask your seniors for help.
2. Take Regular Breaks And Exercise:
Taking breaks is essential for your mind. Your brain needs time to think, be creative and concentrate effectively. When you have tons of work on your hands, you need more breaks than usual.
Instead of taking a break after finishing all the work, it is better that take a break after every 2 hours or 3 hours.
Meditate, stretch, do yoga, or drink healthy juices or coffee to keep you awake during the holiday. Also, you can listen to calming music or take a 20 minutes nap.
3. Do More Of What Makes You Happy:
You have some things that you like to do before others. The things that make you happy are your friends.
So calm your inner chaos with the tasks you love to do, and you will have the energy to complete other mundane tasks.
4. Develop A Plan:
Disorganization can be the biggest problem that makes you feel that you have so much work and go insane.
Make an outline of which tasks you have to perform and how to act. Take notes and follow them for an organized way to work and feel less stressed.
What Signs State That You Have Too Much Work?
Before we proceed with the plan on “how to tell your boss,” let us identify some signs that might say so. Here they are:
1. You barely finish your tasks by your assigned deadlines.
2. You feel stressed and tired even before your boss asks you to work on something else.
3. Most of the tasks assigned to you need skilled hands and special training.
Everyone has a limit, do not be afraid to admit that you have too much work. If there’s so much work to do and no support, there is no shame in asking your boss to cut you some slack.
Final Word:
Keep in mind; there are different ways to tell your boss you have too much work. Feel free to personalize the message as you see fit and as long as it’s not disrespectful or offensive.
Your boss is a busy person like yourself, so make things clear and easy!
Practice before you talk to your boss. And think of all possible alternatives and solutions that you can give to your boss. Be ready to accept rejection, and always have a backup ready.
Many signs can confirm that you have a grunt of work. Some examples are feeling tired, unproductive, and lacking behind others.
So decide how you want to lessen your workload and not affect others.
Last Updated on 6 days by Shahzaib Arshad
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