ALT-2 Practical Ways to Explain that your Workload is too Heavy
The fast pace of modern life requires many of us to accomplish more in less time, both in our personal lives and on the job. Employers expect one hundred and ten percent from every employee, every day. As the saying goes, time is money; and neither of these resources should be squandered. Still, we are all only human and there is a limit to what we are capable of accomplishing without sacrificing quality and efficiency.
If you legitimately feel that your workload is pushing you to the breaking point or that your productivity is suffering, you should consider it your obligation as a dedicated employee to bring the matter to the attention of your employer or someone in a position of authority who can help you deal with the matter. It is never a good practice to bring up your overwhelming workload by complaining and displaying a hostile or angry attitude. This will only reflect poorly on you and is not likely to lead to the outcome you might hope.
Before approaching your boss, do your homework. This is not meant to add even more stress to your bulging workload. It is simply a way to organize your concerns so they can be dealt with systematically. Start by making a list of your responsibilities and the average amount of time it takes you to accomplish your objectives each day or each week. Try to prioritize them so that your boss can see where you focus your attention the most. This will also let your boss know that you understand the importance of the different aspects of your job.
When you do sit down to discuss your workload, do so in a calm and helpful manner. If you have your thoughts organized and an action plan in place, your boss will feel less pressured to try to simply appease you. He or she will be more likely to welcome your suggestions and be willing to work out an equitable solution. Try to clearly express how you prioritize your workload and open up the discussion to encourage your boss to explain the company's priorities as well.
Explain to your boss that you want to be the best possible employee you can be and that your unwieldy workload not only has a negative impact on you, it can also be detrimental to the success and profitability of the company. You might suggest hiring an assistant or some other method of redistributing your workload. Don’t be discouraged if this idea is met with resistance. Money is tight in many businesses and hiring additional staff is not something that is undertaken lightly.
Perhaps there are duties you perform that are redundant or unnecessary. Close scrutiny by your boss might reveal these extra items and you can easily eliminate them from your routine. Consider the possibility that you are creating at least part of your own workload nightmare. Again, a discussion with your boss might reveal more efficient ways to accomplish the same goals in less time.
In the end, the important thing to remember is that you and your employer should work together as a team. No one benefits when an employee is overworked. If you can rationally explain what you do, how you do it and how long it takes to accomplish your goals, you and your boss should be one step closer to creating the best working environment for everyone concerned.
