ALT-1 Practical Ways to Explain that your Workload is too Heavy
In the current economy, many businesses are attempting to save money by eliminating positions. This results in additional workload for those who are still employed. While this is not always a burden or perhaps it is only a burden for a short time, some employees will, indeed, be overloaded and as such, unable to deliver on time or who can’t provide the previous high level of product or service. In these cases, the employee should make a justification to his or her supervisor about a reduction in workload. But as in any business discussion, the employee must first apply due diligence while also pulling together the facts and figures necessary to prove the argument.
The first step is to take stock of the truth about the situation. The employee should complete a detailed time survey for one typical work week (i.e., don’t do the survey during the holidays or when many co-workers are on vacation). The employee should list the time spent on every single activity or task including, for example, mundane things like getting a cup of coffee or taking out the trash. In fact, the employ must account for every minute of the day, from the minute he or she arrives to when he or she leaves. After a week, the employee can then look at the results and may discover distractions, unnecessary efforts, and other time sinks. By eliminating all or some of these, the employee can free up time to handle the additional workload. Document this effort because proof of efficiency and discipline will impress the supervisor about the employee’s determination to get the job done under trying circumstances; likewise, the documentation will prove the employee is not wasting his or her time during the work day.
Next, the employee must develop a detailed list of projects, tasks, and responsibilities he or she is accountable for. Ideally, the employee will build a project plan for each separate item in his or her workload; this plan ought to include due dates for individual tasks and responsibilities – even the recurring items. Again, the employee must document this information if he or she is to be successful in making a case about an unmanageable workload.
Third, the employee should develop a disciplined schedule and to-do list based on the project plans in the previous step. At the end of every work day, review the day in terms of schedule and the to-do list. Mark off completed items and consider why some items were not completed. Make up the next day’s schedule and to-do list. Update project plans and responsibility lists to show completion status. It shouldn’t take more than about 30 minutes to review the day but this documentation will go a long way towards making a case of being overburdened. Annotate seemingly unimportant or unnecessary tasks or responsibilities – don’t fail to complete them just yet but be able to point them out.
After a month or so, take a little extra time one day to review the workload. Is the workload too much for one employee? Can some workload be postponed or even eliminated all together? Are some tasks and responsibilities unnecessary? The documentation gathered over the previous month will answer these questions. If the answer is generally yes, schedule some time with your supervisor – a time when the supervisor is fresh and open to dialogue. Bring the documentation and succinctly make the case in a straightforward and logical manner – don’t get emotional. Ask for help.
There is, unfortunately, no guarantee the supervisor will agree to lighten the workload because he or she may be under similar stresses to get things done with fewer resources and employees. If this happens, change your tact slightly and ask the supervisor how to prioritize the work – what can be delayed, what is absolutely not negotiable in terms of missing a deadline, and what tasks can be temporarily shelved until time permits. After the meeting, make sure you document your understanding of what your supervisor expects of you. Give the supervisor a copy and politely ask him or her to review it and respond to you if he or she remembers things differently.
Keep plugging away and also continue to document your efforts, successes, and failures. Don’t be afraid to ask for another meeting with your supervisor in 4-6 months and sooner if it becomes clear you can’t meet non-negotiable deadlines. And remember what you learn from this experience as you may someday be a supervisor!
