How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work

Is your work schedule eating up your calendar? Do you find that you have less and less time for yourself, your family, and your loved ones ? Are you experiencing burnout? It’s time that you talked to your boss about how you’re being overworked. 

While this can be a difficult topic to raise, it is certainly an important one. Ultimately, you’re the one responsible for your mental health. While doing your best at work is definitely good, it should not be at the cost of your health. So, how can you tell your boss that you have too much work? Keep reading this article to find out.

How to break the news?

Here are the steps that you can follow while talking to your boss about being overworked.

1. Set a meeting with your boss

It’s always best to schedule a meeting with your boss when you want to talk about this. It is essential that both you and your boss set aside time to deliberate over to avoid hasty decisions. Setting up a meeting beforehand also helps you to prepare well in advance for the conversation.

2. Prepare for the talk in advance

While spontaneity is great, a sensitive topic such as this is best prepared for in advance. Deliberate over what exactly you want to convey and how you want to convey it. Make a list of all the concerns you have and how your work is affecting your professional and personal life. 

3. Provide examples

Your boss might sometimes not relate to how you feel or fully understand what you’re going through. So , in order to make matters more clear, give examples to demonstrate how you’re feeling overworked. 

4. Focus on your work experience

You may never know how your colleagues might be handling their workload. When presenting your problem, it’s best to focus on your individual experience rather than speaking for others. 

5. Offer some suggestions/solutions

Along with conveying your concerns, you should also come up with suggestions on how your boss can help you with this. Maybe reducing your workload might help, or increasing your leaves may be the solution. Clearly communicate what you want. 

6. Say no when needed

If your boss isn’t receptive to your concerns, say no wherever required. If you’re someone who says yes easily, there’s a chance that you’ll be piled with more work.

Conclusion

Having a healthy work-life balance is crucial to maintaining productivity at work. Talking about how your work is affecting you negatively does not mean that you’re whining or complaining. On the contrary, it will give your boss a better idea of how to make their employees more efficient and create a healthy work environment.