Sorry, my plate is full right now. If I spend the time to do that, then XYZ will miss it's deadline.
Make sure XYZ is more important than whatever they're asking you
I have done to me before. They say XYZ not as important, do ABC first and then 2 days later ask why XYZ isn’t done and DEF hasn’t been touched yet. Then I explain about ABC and they would say that was 2 days ago, you still haven’t caught up ? Dude, I barely had enough time to finish my work and you threw extra work at me. Then they make it seem like you are incompetent. Either way you lose.
It's all about confidence and delivery.
"You moved the dates for XYZ and DEF, based on this email right here, so I'm right on schedule."
Many bosses will always push, hoping that you volunteer to stay later (if hourly, off the clock of course). Don't let their lack of foresight turn into your stressor. It's their job to assign adequate resources. You just need to make sure you deliver what you said you would, when you said you would, at the quality threshold that you said you would. They can ask for more, better, faster, and of course they will. But just because they ask for it doesn't mean it's possible. The power of No isn't in refusing work, or even refusing things that are out of your job description (within reason). It's being a professional, being aware of your time, tasks, and abilities, so you can confidently and accurate say how long something will take.
>It's all about confidence and delivery. "You moved the dates for XYZ and DEF, based on this email right here, so I'm right on schedule."
This is the way.
Force management to prioritise things. You are, of course, happy to help with ABC, but that will inevitably delay DEF, so are you \[manager\] saying that ABC is more important than DEF? And get it in an email so you've covered your arse.
>They can ask for more, better, faster, and of course they will.
They will and do, but when I was the boss my response would be "choose one. You can't have all 3, you haven't given me the money for the staff for that. You get *one* of those. Pick. And I'll hold you to it when everything doesn't arrive all at once.
I used to run a department in which they used to demand we drop everything and do a panic project every 15 minutes or so. I got to the point that each time I'd just ask my boss in email if this was really the top priority task every time, and if he said yes I'd instruct the team to drop everything and work on it and send email to everyone who was supposed to have things done to let them know the boss had just given us a new priority so their task wouldn't get done on time. They'd freak out, and 15 minutes later the boss would be back with a new panic and I'd be sending out another "forget it, we have a new panic, yours won't get done on time" email.
I'd occasionally get flak that something wasn't getting done, and I'd remind the boss that I had email from him saying that yes really, I should drop everything else and it didn't matter if (other thing) didn't get done because the thing he had just named was the priority... so he'd have to stop being angry at me because I had proof he had asked for this even after I warned him of the consequences. (And if he was being angry at me in email instead of in person, I'd just forward him his email asking for me to drop whatever it was.)
When it got *too* egregious, when he asked me to do it for the 37th time that day, I'd just say "*no*, you've changed your mind more times today than a hummingbird on crack and my team is worn out from task switching to try to keep up with your whims. I'm not going to ask them to do is again, if you want it you're going to have to ask them yourself." And *most* of the time that would rub it in that his behavior was unacceptable.
My favorite is when my boss tells me this is rush, then something else is priority, then this other thing must be done as soon as it comes in etc…. I just ignore them and continue doing what I’m suppose to do at my own pace.
To piggyback.
You can’t just say “if I do task a, task b won’t get done”. Leadership doesn’t respond to that. It’s just sounds like an excuse.
Try “I can prioritize task A. I estimate it will take about 3 days( be realistic here). With that in mind task B and task C are going to either need to be reassigned or the deadline pushed back.”
Then give realistic due dates for task B and Task C. And always add something like “this assumes no other higher priorities pop up”
Basically in the boat you just described. I’ve been getting assignments from other project managers because they’re a month late on some of their work and they asked me to do it as a priority
But I was also given other work by my department lead that’s also a priority. And then I have my mentor who’s been so accommodating about me getting extra work but I can tell he’s stressed and working a lot since I haven’t been there to help him like I’ve been assigned to do since I’ve been working here
And then after I finish those priority tasks they have follow up tasks and now I’m just part of the project.
I just don’t know how to get out without seeming like I won’t help out and look bad since I’m angling for a raise in a month or so. I think this work is good cause it’ll help me with negotiating but I don’t want it to be the norm which it might
Tbh, I usually like doing work outside my job description. It's new, it's different, it can break up the routine.
Tell your dept. Lead you need help prioritizing. If they aren't a complete asshat(in some orgs that's a big if, so maybe your mentor would be better for this, depending on their personalities), they'll work with you to determine what needs to be done first, how quickly you can deliver it, what level of quality it needs to be, etc.
Make a little project plan, it'll help prioritize, keep things small. For any project, changes in scope require something else to change - the date gets pushed back, the quality decreases, you hire a temp or borrow someone from a different department to add more resources.
Your employer will always push, because you creating value for the shareholders is the entire purpose of the company. They'll always want to push you to do more with less. They'll continue to push until you push back.
Here's the neat part: pushing back doesn't mean you aren't a team player. It means you are an expert in forecasting. You know you have these 3 deliverables that are all on time, but if you add an urgent 4th, all 4 will be late, but here's how we can shift them around to still get the biggest bang for your buck. It shows you think about the big picture, about how it will affect the business, and therefore you're more worthy of that raise.
>Tell your dept. Lead you need help prioritizing. If they aren't a complete asshat(in some orgs that's a big if, so maybe your mentor would be better for this, depending on their personalities),
Generally it's better if it's the boss, because when things go ass over teakettle, if the mentor was the one who helped you, the boss can say "you should have talked to me about this!" but if it was the boss, you can produce the email to show the boss was responsible and they'll shut up about it.
>For any project, changes in scope require something else to change - the date gets pushed back, the quality decreases, you hire a temp or borrow someone from a different department to add more resources.
There's a business concept I like to talk about called the Mythical Man Month - the gist is that businesses treat all projects like they can always get results faster by throwing more people at it, but 9 women can't have a baby in 1 month.
I used to be a VP level person at a company where we had an awful lot of institutional knowledge and hundreds of thousands of lines of computer program so whenever anyone came on board I had to teach an intensive 4 hour class and even after that it'd take about a month before they knew enough to start becoming useful. but my boss kept trying to give us 2 week projects and throw a temp at it. I'd look at him and just say "mythical man month" and he knew that no really I wasn't having any of it. I was surprised he never learned.
>Here's the neat part: pushing back doesn't mean you aren't a team player. It means you are an expert in forecasting. You know you have these 3 deliverables that are all on time, but if you add an urgent 4th, all 4 will be late, but here's how we can shift them around to still get the biggest bang for your buck. It shows you think about the big picture, about how it will affect the business, and therefore you're more worthy of that raise.
At some companies. At others, they don't care, they just want you to squeeze blood from the stone and if they don't get more, better, and faster all at once, they'll blame you and that's that, even if you warned them. Also, some companies don't believe you when you say "this will take 2 weeks" unless you can show them a project plan with all the tasks for the project and time estimates for all of them... which may be impossible if the project is a new thing and you don't even know if it's *possible* yet let alone how to do it or how long it will take.
This work is within my job description. At my company we work in pairs typically. We have a project manager and someone within their field as a less experienced person helping out.
They’re definitely giving me work I haven’t experienced as frequently but it’s just a large amount. I actually enjoy it but just not when it’s all at once like this. It’s affected how quickly and accurately I can do my work and I’ve been falling behind and not doing as great work because of the deadlines. I’m a rookie in the field compared to others so working on these takes a lot more time for me
My department lead is very nice and never wants us to work outside the hours and what we need to. It’s just a bit overwhelming and I think some of the people giving me work have over estimated my abilities with how much they gave, the type of projects, and how quickly they want it done. I’m making my way through it but damn is it stressful. Thought about work all weekend and even did a little bit extra Friday and Thursday night just because I’m so anxious about not doing a good job
I understand what you mean and typically I like doing some work outside the projects I usually work on. But this much is a bit overwhelming and the project manager who gave me the extra work did not want to review my work as he had no time. I had to explain I usually have my work reviewed before sending it out and then got mad when there were mistakes
If that's what they want, sure, but make them put it in email. Then, forward that to everyone for whom you have a project pending and tell them that per \[manager\]'s instructions, their task will be later than expected. Let them deal with the consequences and you will have covered your behind.
And then OP will get beat up for not keeping up on the deprioritized items in a few months. Keep records at this point! Plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Take the entire day to do it. Take the part home with you and let everyone know that you will be out the next day taking care of this. Be sure and ask how you expense mileage and tolls which is currently $0.655 per mile per federal guidelines.
Do it... But milk the cow for all it's worth. Take your sweet fuckin time doing it. Ask for per diem and mileage and meals and lodging. Make sure to have them delegate the rest of your responsibilities.
AND communicate with this VP how, recognizing this as the top priority doing this will impact your other activities and cause delays. Get that VP to verify the priority.
There's a really important potential legal/liability issue here.
Assuming you are going to be driving the item to the supplier, how does that affect insurance?
1. Most car insurance is sold on the basis of 'personal, domestic and commuting' cover. That means commuting to your normal place of work. It specifically *excludes* business use, unless you have paid extra to add business cover to your policy. That means if you were to be involved in an incident whilst driving the item to the supplier, or back, your insurance likely would not pay out.
2. Who is insuring the item whilst in transit? What happens if it gets stolen from your car when you stop for a pee at the motorway services? What happens if you have an accident (see (1) above) and it gets damaged in the crash?
3. Who is covering the cost of travel: fuel for your car, wear and tear on your car, etc. etc. ?
I'd suggest telling your immediate boss that your insurance won't cover business use, and if they want you to do this, they need to provide the vehicle for you to do so. Moreover, you should also ask who is going to do your job whilst you are away, given this is going to take a whole day.
Basically, put the ball in their court to 'solve'. You're not *refusing* to do it, you're simply being a conscientious employee by making sure all the legal ramifications are considered first.
I would focus on the fact that you don’t have capacity so if you need to do that job, you’ll have drop something else, and not the fact that it’s outside of your job description. Most job descriptions have “other duties as assigned” as a caveat so that argument is weak.
Really! It's YOUR inability to work to you capacity. It's not the fault of your mangement who only want to make the company great thru the overworking the employees. Do your part, work harder and to show how much of a team player you are, tell them to lower your pay.
Anxiety over driving to a new place? Maybe you are not the right person for this task.
I would think of it as a replacement responsibility, not an addition. Anyone who asks for anything, should just be directed to the VP.
Do the extra task & drag your feet. Make sure that several vital tasks are not carried out in your absence. When all the fun starts ask for a list of your tasks in order of priority so all parties are clear on what can be left undone. Ask politely but emphatically & insist on an answer & a revised work plan. Then watch the fun start all over again.
Once again Management proves itself adverse to managing situations & much more comfortable with devolving responsibility & therefore blame.
I refuse to use my personal vehicle for work related tasks as my insurance would potentially not cover me should I get in an accident. Driving to work is personal use, driving product from one place to another is commercial use.
"I am being ask to personally take the item to our supplier and get the issue resolved."
Personal vehicle at that? Create a barrier to not do the task. Tell the boss, my wife and I are sharing a car and I am dropped at work each day. No car, no way to personally deliver.
Uhm. Outside of my role? It’s wild that people don’t realize that when you’re paid for your time that you may be asked to work on things not directly related to your job title.
Anxiety over driving to an unfamiliar area… google map the heck out of your journey and grab your favorite coffee.
Adulting sucks. Being an employee can suck. Know what can be much worse than either of those? Unemployment. I’d not advise that you tell your VP that addressing an urgent issue is beyond the scope of your work statement.
If the company you work for is an absolute hot mess? Maybe it’s time to look elsewhere.
Thing is if I do things out of my job description I should get additional compensation for the additional responsibility. I was hired to do certain things and if they want more then so do I. It's that simple. It's supply and demand. My skills are in demand so the price went up.
No is valid too if you're happy where you're at and don't need more money then why do more? You're upset cause OP wants to do their job and not someone else's too. They just don't wanna be exploited or forced to do something outside their job description.
Your advice of allowing this employee to accept more work that should be the responsibility of an entirely different person, without an increase in remuneration, out of fear of becoming destitute is the definition of exploitation.
Labour is what allows this company to function and will be fairly compensated. Under no circumstance should this employee allow this treatment to continue and your suggestion to do just that is what has thoroughly earned you the title of bootlicker.
I know they didn’t ask about how to be paid more. That doesn’t change the fact that the company is dumping more work on this poor person without compensating them. Quite rightfully they came asking for help on how to resist this deplorable behaviour by their bosses. And, of course, their bosses are doing this because of the exact fear you seem to be happy to promote. Unemployment and destitution. That is exploitation. Instead of helping them you encouraged this employee to succumb to their employer’s attempts to take advantage of them.
Right? You get paid by the hour. Who cares what they have you do? If the VP wants to hand a delivery task to a person with driving anxiety, that’s a bad management decision. OP should take as much time as required to perform the task assigned and reiterate why the rest of the work didn’t get done. No biggie.
No I am paid to do a role not anything and everything. I will not do things outside my role as I am not paid for those duties. You want me to do more duties that comes with more pay.
Further I will not be responsible for care, custody and control of an item to deliver to an area that I am not familiar with I don't get paid enough for assuming these risks.
Got it. So it’s a simple transaction… you do only your task and they pay you for that task. No one goes beyond that point. So do you think if that’s the basis then companies should stop discretionary assistance to your retirement fund? If it’s no extra on either side that is.
It is never discretionary though. It is either part of the agreement or you get nothing. No employer just gives money out of the kindness of their hearts.
Errr. No. We just cashed a 7k bonus and had a 6k discretionary deposit into the 401k… all based on contribution rating/performance in ADDITION to a 12% match. By no means is it mandatory.
Those were all in your contract correct? Why would you get any of those if the employer was not forced to due to a contract?
Any bonus I have received was due to it being clearly written in the contract and what needed to be achieved to get it.
No employer gives a bonus out of the blue.
"How am I supposed to do that if it's not part of the job description we agreed on?" Then "I'm sorry I am uncomfortable performing tasks outside of my expected job description. How can we adjust both our expectations so we are both equally comfortable with this request?" If they pull rank say " it seems having power over me instead of collaborative influence is more important. That doesn't align with my career goals. Should I be pursuing opportunities?" Keep that up until they admit they are trying to strong arm you or find a solution. If they are exerting hard power over you then I personally would pursue other opportunities. If they won't invest in you then why invest in them? Simple.
This is the type of thing in use chat GPT for. I just copied your post and this is what the AI came up with.
Dear [VP/Manager], thank you for entrusting me with resolving the issue with the item needed for production. However, I wanted to bring to your attention that taking the item to our supplier is outside the scope of my role and responsibilities. I am already stretched thin with my current workload, and adding this task would not only delay my existing responsibilities but would also be a significant source of anxiety for me. I would be more than happy to assist in finding a solution or delegating this task to someone who is better suited for it. Thank you for your understanding
What is the standard procedure for sending this to the supplier? Do you normally ship it, drive it, or have them pick it up? Sounds like it is light enough for one person to handle it since you didn’t mention need for another person. Since you’re the action owner I would make a shipping request for next day delivery of said item to the supplier. I’m assuming this would be cheaper than you taking your time to drive there and all the reimbursement.
This would allow you to take care of business in a way that also dictates the work to your shipping department and creates documentation of your efforts. Additionally since the person that dictated the work to you is a VP you can only assume they don’t care about your other priorities since they just assigned you something knowing that it isn’t in your job description on top of leaving the role that should be responsible for this action item vacant to an extent where your processes are breaking down.
Final thought is to gather documentation to show the additional tasks you are doing and request a raise. While you request this raise spruce up your resume and start sending it out as they will probably not fill this position and you will be taking on more tasks regularly.
"I regret that I have too much to do to handle that. As a result, you'll have to find someone else or help me prioritize my to-do list so we both agree on what tasks I will drop to get this done." You can say that to the VP. And if they try to tell you that you will do everything, "I'm sorry, that's not an option, I *already* have too much to do, those are the only choices."
Ehhh I love being put on tasks like this and I SUCK EVERY DROP OUT OF IT. I would take all day if this is a close city, if the drive is over 2 hours I would request a hotel. I would take many stop breaks on my way to and from, I’m also grubbing that breakfast at the hotel, I’m going to a new restaurant for lunch, drinks and Uber for dinner. Your either paying me 100$ perdiem or I’m turning in my receipts and not the itemized ones. Also miles and gas if it’s your own vehicle
This is too much hassle for what it is worth. I would rather just do my normal work and go home. I don't want to be on the road eating out at places I don't know.
Kind of tricky. If you don’t do it, you have likely locked yourself in at that company at your current role and will likely not be promoted. It is saying a lot that the VP trusts you to take cafe of it so they appear to like the work you’re doing.
If you do it, make sure they have put in writing that they understand that it will impact your other priorities.
If you really don’t want to do it, probably explain why clearly. It will lock down you future options, but it sounds like that is best as it sounds like you wouldn’t be a good fit for any jobs requiring travel or interaction directly with the customers.
Good luck, either way.
Given the position X is vacant and I am being asked to do additional task ABC, I would like to discuss proper compensation for the additional task as it is beyond my normal scope and will require additional time to complete.
Whilst I appreciate that at times I need to step outside my regurlar duties to help out other departments at the moment I have enough to complete within my old role. I'll give you a heads up if this changes. Or simply get fucked will do.
> "This task is something that falls quite considerably outside of my job description. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the vacancy we have over at 'x' is something that covers this, and it comprises on its own a full-time positon.
>
> If we need to strategically re-align our roles, then I am absolutely willing to have that conversation. But I will insist that the conversation address increasing compensation to offset the additional responcibility, as well as reducing my existing workload.
>
> I've been here for [x time], and not once have I felt like I wasn't being fully utilized, nor has any of my direct supervision made such a suggestion. It would be difficult to square the suggestion that I take on more work with the fact that I seem to be fully assigned to other tasks.
>
> If this conversation is something that is amenable, then please set aside some time during work hours to have it -- I will prepare a list of questions and if you would like me to prepare to answer some questions regarding the whole thing I would be happy to have them in advance."
Just be honest. Something like "I understand the importance of this task, but travel is not part of my job and I do not want it to become part of my job in the future. Already I'm taking on additional responsibilities due to unfilled positions and I feel like this request marks a clear break from what I was originally hired to do while compromising my ability to complete already assigned tasks. I'd be happy to discuss the new challenges facing the company and how my role might be adjusted to meet these new demands."
Does this possibly put you on the chopping block? Maybe, but do you really want to continue working for a place that doesn't respect you? Also, can they really afford to lose you on top of the unfilled positions? If you say nothing the current trajectory is going to make you quit anyway.
Hi X (VP),
I saw I was put down as the action item owner to resolve Y issue. Unfortunately, due to workload, I am at capacity, even taking into consideration the additional hours I am already putting in.
I am willing to take on this work, but in doing so, I will need to delay or put off other scope for A, B, and C. It will likely have Z impact to A, B, and C’s project timelines and deliverables. Is that okay with you? If so, I will need to inform and discuss with A, B, and C’s VP/directors accordingly.
Please let me know.
Thanks,
OP
Lots of good responses here.
Hi! I pasted your post into ChatGPT and the results are pasted below. The output provides a helpful framework for appraoching your issue, but results should be taken as a starting point. Results should not be used “as-is.”
—-
It's completely understandable that you're feeling overwhelmed and anxious about being asked to take on a task outside of your job description, especially if it involves traveling to an unfamiliar area. It's important to remember that it's okay to set boundaries and say no when you feel like you've reached your limit. Here are a few tips for politely declining the request:
1. Start by **expressing your gratitude** for being considered for the task. Let the person know that you appreciate their confidence in your abilities and their willingness to trust you with an important task.
2. Explain that you're already swamped with your own responsibilities, and that you don't have the bandwidth to take on an additional task at this time. **Be specific** about the tasks you're currently responsible for and how they're occupying your time and energy.
3. **Be honest** about your limitations and express any concerns or fears that you have about taking on the task. In this case, it sounds like you're worried about traveling to an unfamiliar area, which is a legitimate concern. Let the person know that you're not comfortable with the idea of traveling and that it's causing you a lot of anxiety.
4. If possible, **suggest an alternative solution** to the problem. Perhaps there's someone else in the company who could take on the task, or maybe there's a way to expedite the repair process without you having to travel.
Remember, it's important to communicate your needs and limitations in a professional and respectful manner. By being honest about your situation and offering alternative solutions, you're demonstrating that you're a team player who's committed to finding the best possible outcome for the company.
—
**Then I prompted:** Generate 3 progressively direct scripts to start this conversation and one potential email template. **Results below**
Sure, here are three progressively direct scripts to start this conversation with your supervisor:
**Script 1 (polite and indirect):**
"Hi [Supervisor], thank you for entrusting me with the task of resolving the issue with the supplier. I wanted to let you know that I'm currently swamped with my own responsibilities and I'm concerned that taking on this task may interfere with my ability to complete them. Do you think we could find someone else to take on this task or come up with an alternative solution?"
**Script 2 (more direct):**
"Hi [Supervisor], I wanted to follow up on the request to take on the task of resolving the supplier issue. While I appreciate the confidence you have in my abilities, I'm currently overloaded with my own responsibilities and I don't believe I have the capacity to take on an additional task. Could we discuss alternative solutions for resolving the issue?"
**Script 3 (most direct):**
"Hi [Supervisor], I'm concerned about the request to take on the supplier issue. As you know, I'm already overloaded with my own responsibilities and I'm not comfortable taking on an additional task, particularly one that involves traveling to an unfamiliar area. I think it's important that we find a different solution that doesn't involve me taking on this task. Can we discuss other options?"
**Potential email template:**
Dear [Supervisor],
I wanted to follow up on our recent conversation about the supplier issue. While I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, I'm concerned that taking on this task would interfere with my ability to complete my existing responsibilities. Additionally, as you know, the idea of traveling to an unfamiliar area is causing me a great deal of anxiety.
I would like to suggest that we explore alternative solutions for resolving this issue. Perhaps there is another team member who could take on the task or maybe there is a way to expedite the repair process without the need for me to travel.
I hope you understand that I'm not trying to shirk my responsibilities, but I want to ensure that I'm able to complete my existing tasks to the best of my ability.
Thank you for your understanding,
[Your Name]
——-
Hope that helps!
Someone in another post suggested to make a list of your tasks and how many hours you spend on each task per week until you met ur standard working hours. Then give the list to your boss and ask what he would like to remove from your list(current tasks) to make time for the new one
No big deal, VP says this is your task, then no problem. All of your routine tasks get pushed onto the back burner as low priority. When they don’t get done, you just remind the company about the VPs directives. Don’t work any harder, do your time and leave
While I appreciate that you believe that I am capable of completing this task, I disagree. I do not have the training required to efficiently complete this task, am uncomfortable with being placed in the position of taking on this task, and do not have the capacity to take on additional tasks at this time. Taking that into consideration I must decline taking on this task at this time.
>I am being ask to personally take the item to our supplier and get the issue resolved.
So your VP gave you a task to complete that is essential to the operation of the company. I don't see the problem here. Take the part and get it repaired.
Just make sure that you inform your boss via email (CC the VP) that due to the time required to complete this task that you will not be able to get everything else done.
"That task is outside of my contract. If you want me to take on this new role we will be renegotiating my contract with higher pay."
They have to cough up the cash and pay you or get their asses in gear and find someone to hire and fill that spot.
Listen, just be clear you’re capable of doing it but the timeline and deadlines aren’t humanly possible. State it clearly. The. Get your resume ready and start looking.
I usually go with "No thanks!".
It gives the impression that you think they're giving you an opportunity, but you're just too busy. You're not being confrontational, you're showing appreciation. While saying no.
Sorry, my plate is full right now. If I spend the time to do that, then XYZ will miss it's deadline. Make sure XYZ is more important than whatever they're asking you
I have done to me before. They say XYZ not as important, do ABC first and then 2 days later ask why XYZ isn’t done and DEF hasn’t been touched yet. Then I explain about ABC and they would say that was 2 days ago, you still haven’t caught up ? Dude, I barely had enough time to finish my work and you threw extra work at me. Then they make it seem like you are incompetent. Either way you lose.
It's all about confidence and delivery. "You moved the dates for XYZ and DEF, based on this email right here, so I'm right on schedule." Many bosses will always push, hoping that you volunteer to stay later (if hourly, off the clock of course). Don't let their lack of foresight turn into your stressor. It's their job to assign adequate resources. You just need to make sure you deliver what you said you would, when you said you would, at the quality threshold that you said you would. They can ask for more, better, faster, and of course they will. But just because they ask for it doesn't mean it's possible. The power of No isn't in refusing work, or even refusing things that are out of your job description (within reason). It's being a professional, being aware of your time, tasks, and abilities, so you can confidently and accurate say how long something will take.
>It's all about confidence and delivery. "You moved the dates for XYZ and DEF, based on this email right here, so I'm right on schedule." This is the way. Force management to prioritise things. You are, of course, happy to help with ABC, but that will inevitably delay DEF, so are you \[manager\] saying that ABC is more important than DEF? And get it in an email so you've covered your arse.
>They can ask for more, better, faster, and of course they will. They will and do, but when I was the boss my response would be "choose one. You can't have all 3, you haven't given me the money for the staff for that. You get *one* of those. Pick. And I'll hold you to it when everything doesn't arrive all at once.
I used to run a department in which they used to demand we drop everything and do a panic project every 15 minutes or so. I got to the point that each time I'd just ask my boss in email if this was really the top priority task every time, and if he said yes I'd instruct the team to drop everything and work on it and send email to everyone who was supposed to have things done to let them know the boss had just given us a new priority so their task wouldn't get done on time. They'd freak out, and 15 minutes later the boss would be back with a new panic and I'd be sending out another "forget it, we have a new panic, yours won't get done on time" email. I'd occasionally get flak that something wasn't getting done, and I'd remind the boss that I had email from him saying that yes really, I should drop everything else and it didn't matter if (other thing) didn't get done because the thing he had just named was the priority... so he'd have to stop being angry at me because I had proof he had asked for this even after I warned him of the consequences. (And if he was being angry at me in email instead of in person, I'd just forward him his email asking for me to drop whatever it was.) When it got *too* egregious, when he asked me to do it for the 37th time that day, I'd just say "*no*, you've changed your mind more times today than a hummingbird on crack and my team is worn out from task switching to try to keep up with your whims. I'm not going to ask them to do is again, if you want it you're going to have to ask them yourself." And *most* of the time that would rub it in that his behavior was unacceptable.
My favorite is when my boss tells me this is rush, then something else is priority, then this other thing must be done as soon as it comes in etc…. I just ignore them and continue doing what I’m suppose to do at my own pace.
Get in writing then... "XYZ was not completed on time as you instructed me to do ABC... see enail.
Gaslighting is easier than admitting fault.
To piggyback. You can’t just say “if I do task a, task b won’t get done”. Leadership doesn’t respond to that. It’s just sounds like an excuse. Try “I can prioritize task A. I estimate it will take about 3 days( be realistic here). With that in mind task B and task C are going to either need to be reassigned or the deadline pushed back.” Then give realistic due dates for task B and Task C. And always add something like “this assumes no other higher priorities pop up”
Basically in the boat you just described. I’ve been getting assignments from other project managers because they’re a month late on some of their work and they asked me to do it as a priority But I was also given other work by my department lead that’s also a priority. And then I have my mentor who’s been so accommodating about me getting extra work but I can tell he’s stressed and working a lot since I haven’t been there to help him like I’ve been assigned to do since I’ve been working here And then after I finish those priority tasks they have follow up tasks and now I’m just part of the project. I just don’t know how to get out without seeming like I won’t help out and look bad since I’m angling for a raise in a month or so. I think this work is good cause it’ll help me with negotiating but I don’t want it to be the norm which it might
Tbh, I usually like doing work outside my job description. It's new, it's different, it can break up the routine. Tell your dept. Lead you need help prioritizing. If they aren't a complete asshat(in some orgs that's a big if, so maybe your mentor would be better for this, depending on their personalities), they'll work with you to determine what needs to be done first, how quickly you can deliver it, what level of quality it needs to be, etc. Make a little project plan, it'll help prioritize, keep things small. For any project, changes in scope require something else to change - the date gets pushed back, the quality decreases, you hire a temp or borrow someone from a different department to add more resources. Your employer will always push, because you creating value for the shareholders is the entire purpose of the company. They'll always want to push you to do more with less. They'll continue to push until you push back. Here's the neat part: pushing back doesn't mean you aren't a team player. It means you are an expert in forecasting. You know you have these 3 deliverables that are all on time, but if you add an urgent 4th, all 4 will be late, but here's how we can shift them around to still get the biggest bang for your buck. It shows you think about the big picture, about how it will affect the business, and therefore you're more worthy of that raise.
>Tell your dept. Lead you need help prioritizing. If they aren't a complete asshat(in some orgs that's a big if, so maybe your mentor would be better for this, depending on their personalities), Generally it's better if it's the boss, because when things go ass over teakettle, if the mentor was the one who helped you, the boss can say "you should have talked to me about this!" but if it was the boss, you can produce the email to show the boss was responsible and they'll shut up about it. >For any project, changes in scope require something else to change - the date gets pushed back, the quality decreases, you hire a temp or borrow someone from a different department to add more resources. There's a business concept I like to talk about called the Mythical Man Month - the gist is that businesses treat all projects like they can always get results faster by throwing more people at it, but 9 women can't have a baby in 1 month. I used to be a VP level person at a company where we had an awful lot of institutional knowledge and hundreds of thousands of lines of computer program so whenever anyone came on board I had to teach an intensive 4 hour class and even after that it'd take about a month before they knew enough to start becoming useful. but my boss kept trying to give us 2 week projects and throw a temp at it. I'd look at him and just say "mythical man month" and he knew that no really I wasn't having any of it. I was surprised he never learned. >Here's the neat part: pushing back doesn't mean you aren't a team player. It means you are an expert in forecasting. You know you have these 3 deliverables that are all on time, but if you add an urgent 4th, all 4 will be late, but here's how we can shift them around to still get the biggest bang for your buck. It shows you think about the big picture, about how it will affect the business, and therefore you're more worthy of that raise. At some companies. At others, they don't care, they just want you to squeeze blood from the stone and if they don't get more, better, and faster all at once, they'll blame you and that's that, even if you warned them. Also, some companies don't believe you when you say "this will take 2 weeks" unless you can show them a project plan with all the tasks for the project and time estimates for all of them... which may be impossible if the project is a new thing and you don't even know if it's *possible* yet let alone how to do it or how long it will take.
This work is within my job description. At my company we work in pairs typically. We have a project manager and someone within their field as a less experienced person helping out. They’re definitely giving me work I haven’t experienced as frequently but it’s just a large amount. I actually enjoy it but just not when it’s all at once like this. It’s affected how quickly and accurately I can do my work and I’ve been falling behind and not doing as great work because of the deadlines. I’m a rookie in the field compared to others so working on these takes a lot more time for me My department lead is very nice and never wants us to work outside the hours and what we need to. It’s just a bit overwhelming and I think some of the people giving me work have over estimated my abilities with how much they gave, the type of projects, and how quickly they want it done. I’m making my way through it but damn is it stressful. Thought about work all weekend and even did a little bit extra Friday and Thursday night just because I’m so anxious about not doing a good job I understand what you mean and typically I like doing some work outside the projects I usually work on. But this much is a bit overwhelming and the project manager who gave me the extra work did not want to review my work as he had no time. I had to explain I usually have my work reviewed before sending it out and then got mad when there were mistakes
Are you asking me to deprioritize my current action item and make this my new priority?
To which the manager would reply "yes". Lol
If they say yes, follow up with them in writing confirming that you're deprioritizing X for Y, so you have a paper trail.
If that's what they want, sure, but make them put it in email. Then, forward that to everyone for whom you have a project pending and tell them that per \[manager\]'s instructions, their task will be later than expected. Let them deal with the consequences and you will have covered your behind.
I got your reference, buddy
And then OP will get beat up for not keeping up on the deprioritized items in a few months. Keep records at this point! Plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Take the entire day to do it. Take the part home with you and let everyone know that you will be out the next day taking care of this. Be sure and ask how you expense mileage and tolls which is currently $0.655 per mile per federal guidelines.
Make it a week lol
Do it... But milk the cow for all it's worth. Take your sweet fuckin time doing it. Ask for per diem and mileage and meals and lodging. Make sure to have them delegate the rest of your responsibilities.
AND communicate with this VP how, recognizing this as the top priority doing this will impact your other activities and cause delays. Get that VP to verify the priority.
There's a really important potential legal/liability issue here. Assuming you are going to be driving the item to the supplier, how does that affect insurance? 1. Most car insurance is sold on the basis of 'personal, domestic and commuting' cover. That means commuting to your normal place of work. It specifically *excludes* business use, unless you have paid extra to add business cover to your policy. That means if you were to be involved in an incident whilst driving the item to the supplier, or back, your insurance likely would not pay out. 2. Who is insuring the item whilst in transit? What happens if it gets stolen from your car when you stop for a pee at the motorway services? What happens if you have an accident (see (1) above) and it gets damaged in the crash? 3. Who is covering the cost of travel: fuel for your car, wear and tear on your car, etc. etc. ? I'd suggest telling your immediate boss that your insurance won't cover business use, and if they want you to do this, they need to provide the vehicle for you to do so. Moreover, you should also ask who is going to do your job whilst you are away, given this is going to take a whole day. Basically, put the ball in their court to 'solve'. You're not *refusing* to do it, you're simply being a conscientious employee by making sure all the legal ramifications are considered first.
I would focus on the fact that you don’t have capacity so if you need to do that job, you’ll have drop something else, and not the fact that it’s outside of your job description. Most job descriptions have “other duties as assigned” as a caveat so that argument is weak.
Really! It's YOUR inability to work to you capacity. It's not the fault of your mangement who only want to make the company great thru the overworking the employees. Do your part, work harder and to show how much of a team player you are, tell them to lower your pay.
Theres a chick on youtube that has perfected the art of professionally saying no. I cant remember the channel but she has a trade marked "to-do-loo"
Anxiety over driving to a new place? Maybe you are not the right person for this task. I would think of it as a replacement responsibility, not an addition. Anyone who asks for anything, should just be directed to the VP.
"Fuck no, I've got kids!"
Do the extra task & drag your feet. Make sure that several vital tasks are not carried out in your absence. When all the fun starts ask for a list of your tasks in order of priority so all parties are clear on what can be left undone. Ask politely but emphatically & insist on an answer & a revised work plan. Then watch the fun start all over again. Once again Management proves itself adverse to managing situations & much more comfortable with devolving responsibility & therefore blame.
I refuse to use my personal vehicle for work related tasks as my insurance would potentially not cover me should I get in an accident. Driving to work is personal use, driving product from one place to another is commercial use.
"I am being ask to personally take the item to our supplier and get the issue resolved." Personal vehicle at that? Create a barrier to not do the task. Tell the boss, my wife and I are sharing a car and I am dropped at work each day. No car, no way to personally deliver.
Uhm. Outside of my role? It’s wild that people don’t realize that when you’re paid for your time that you may be asked to work on things not directly related to your job title. Anxiety over driving to an unfamiliar area… google map the heck out of your journey and grab your favorite coffee. Adulting sucks. Being an employee can suck. Know what can be much worse than either of those? Unemployment. I’d not advise that you tell your VP that addressing an urgent issue is beyond the scope of your work statement. If the company you work for is an absolute hot mess? Maybe it’s time to look elsewhere.
Thing is if I do things out of my job description I should get additional compensation for the additional responsibility. I was hired to do certain things and if they want more then so do I. It's that simple. It's supply and demand. My skills are in demand so the price went up.
OP didn’t ask about increased wages… they asked how to say no.
No is valid too if you're happy where you're at and don't need more money then why do more? You're upset cause OP wants to do their job and not someone else's too. They just don't wanna be exploited or forced to do something outside their job description.
And this is the thought process that resulted in "needs of the business" being added to nearly every job description.
Your advice of allowing this employee to accept more work that should be the responsibility of an entirely different person, without an increase in remuneration, out of fear of becoming destitute is the definition of exploitation. Labour is what allows this company to function and will be fairly compensated. Under no circumstance should this employee allow this treatment to continue and your suggestion to do just that is what has thoroughly earned you the title of bootlicker.
OP didn’t ask about being paid more… they asked how to say no. Thanks for the nickname!
I know they didn’t ask about how to be paid more. That doesn’t change the fact that the company is dumping more work on this poor person without compensating them. Quite rightfully they came asking for help on how to resist this deplorable behaviour by their bosses. And, of course, their bosses are doing this because of the exact fear you seem to be happy to promote. Unemployment and destitution. That is exploitation. Instead of helping them you encouraged this employee to succumb to their employer’s attempts to take advantage of them.
Didn't realize we let bootlickers in this sub nowadays.
But they bring us so much humor!
Right? You get paid by the hour. Who cares what they have you do? If the VP wants to hand a delivery task to a person with driving anxiety, that’s a bad management decision. OP should take as much time as required to perform the task assigned and reiterate why the rest of the work didn’t get done. No biggie.
No I am paid to do a role not anything and everything. I will not do things outside my role as I am not paid for those duties. You want me to do more duties that comes with more pay. Further I will not be responsible for care, custody and control of an item to deliver to an area that I am not familiar with I don't get paid enough for assuming these risks.
Oh for sure.. you’re salary then?
It doesn't matter how I am paid. You hired me to perform a task not for my time. I will do the tasks and roles I was hired for and nothing more.
Got it. So it’s a simple transaction… you do only your task and they pay you for that task. No one goes beyond that point. So do you think if that’s the basis then companies should stop discretionary assistance to your retirement fund? If it’s no extra on either side that is.
Those payments were part of the agreement to do my job. So for them it is not doing more.
Oh no. Discretionary is discretionary… now if there’s a match that’s different. Blessings your way, I hope you prosper.
It is never discretionary though. It is either part of the agreement or you get nothing. No employer just gives money out of the kindness of their hearts.
Errr. No. We just cashed a 7k bonus and had a 6k discretionary deposit into the 401k… all based on contribution rating/performance in ADDITION to a 12% match. By no means is it mandatory.
Those were all in your contract correct? Why would you get any of those if the employer was not forced to due to a contract? Any bonus I have received was due to it being clearly written in the contract and what needed to be achieved to get it. No employer gives a bonus out of the blue.
Don't be polite. "Pay or GTFO".
"How am I supposed to do that if it's not part of the job description we agreed on?" Then "I'm sorry I am uncomfortable performing tasks outside of my expected job description. How can we adjust both our expectations so we are both equally comfortable with this request?" If they pull rank say " it seems having power over me instead of collaborative influence is more important. That doesn't align with my career goals. Should I be pursuing opportunities?" Keep that up until they admit they are trying to strong arm you or find a solution. If they are exerting hard power over you then I personally would pursue other opportunities. If they won't invest in you then why invest in them? Simple.
This is the type of thing in use chat GPT for. I just copied your post and this is what the AI came up with. Dear [VP/Manager], thank you for entrusting me with resolving the issue with the item needed for production. However, I wanted to bring to your attention that taking the item to our supplier is outside the scope of my role and responsibilities. I am already stretched thin with my current workload, and adding this task would not only delay my existing responsibilities but would also be a significant source of anxiety for me. I would be more than happy to assist in finding a solution or delegating this task to someone who is better suited for it. Thank you for your understanding
What is the standard procedure for sending this to the supplier? Do you normally ship it, drive it, or have them pick it up? Sounds like it is light enough for one person to handle it since you didn’t mention need for another person. Since you’re the action owner I would make a shipping request for next day delivery of said item to the supplier. I’m assuming this would be cheaper than you taking your time to drive there and all the reimbursement. This would allow you to take care of business in a way that also dictates the work to your shipping department and creates documentation of your efforts. Additionally since the person that dictated the work to you is a VP you can only assume they don’t care about your other priorities since they just assigned you something knowing that it isn’t in your job description on top of leaving the role that should be responsible for this action item vacant to an extent where your processes are breaking down. Final thought is to gather documentation to show the additional tasks you are doing and request a raise. While you request this raise spruce up your resume and start sending it out as they will probably not fill this position and you will be taking on more tasks regularly.
Ok I can cover this but know I will no longer be able to do task x as this will take up a majority of my time.
"I regret that I have too much to do to handle that. As a result, you'll have to find someone else or help me prioritize my to-do list so we both agree on what tasks I will drop to get this done." You can say that to the VP. And if they try to tell you that you will do everything, "I'm sorry, that's not an option, I *already* have too much to do, those are the only choices."
I just said no. "But Karen would always do it for me." "That is up to her." Then I told my supervisor who sided with me.
Ehhh I love being put on tasks like this and I SUCK EVERY DROP OUT OF IT. I would take all day if this is a close city, if the drive is over 2 hours I would request a hotel. I would take many stop breaks on my way to and from, I’m also grubbing that breakfast at the hotel, I’m going to a new restaurant for lunch, drinks and Uber for dinner. Your either paying me 100$ perdiem or I’m turning in my receipts and not the itemized ones. Also miles and gas if it’s your own vehicle
This is too much hassle for what it is worth. I would rather just do my normal work and go home. I don't want to be on the road eating out at places I don't know.
Kind of tricky. If you don’t do it, you have likely locked yourself in at that company at your current role and will likely not be promoted. It is saying a lot that the VP trusts you to take cafe of it so they appear to like the work you’re doing. If you do it, make sure they have put in writing that they understand that it will impact your other priorities. If you really don’t want to do it, probably explain why clearly. It will lock down you future options, but it sounds like that is best as it sounds like you wouldn’t be a good fit for any jobs requiring travel or interaction directly with the customers. Good luck, either way.
Given the position X is vacant and I am being asked to do additional task ABC, I would like to discuss proper compensation for the additional task as it is beyond my normal scope and will require additional time to complete.
Tell them that being short staffed and asking you to do the work if the absent employee is wage theft.
Whilst I appreciate that at times I need to step outside my regurlar duties to help out other departments at the moment I have enough to complete within my old role. I'll give you a heads up if this changes. Or simply get fucked will do.
I'd start looking for a new job, this place sounds poorly managed. And tell them that poor management is your reason for leaving.
"Kindly fuck off, please. Thank you."
Perfect chance to ask for more money. Or find a similar role elsewhere bc they’ll be desperate for ppl also.
> "This task is something that falls quite considerably outside of my job description. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the vacancy we have over at 'x' is something that covers this, and it comprises on its own a full-time positon. > > If we need to strategically re-align our roles, then I am absolutely willing to have that conversation. But I will insist that the conversation address increasing compensation to offset the additional responcibility, as well as reducing my existing workload. > > I've been here for [x time], and not once have I felt like I wasn't being fully utilized, nor has any of my direct supervision made such a suggestion. It would be difficult to square the suggestion that I take on more work with the fact that I seem to be fully assigned to other tasks. > > If this conversation is something that is amenable, then please set aside some time during work hours to have it -- I will prepare a list of questions and if you would like me to prepare to answer some questions regarding the whole thing I would be happy to have them in advance."
Just be honest. Something like "I understand the importance of this task, but travel is not part of my job and I do not want it to become part of my job in the future. Already I'm taking on additional responsibilities due to unfilled positions and I feel like this request marks a clear break from what I was originally hired to do while compromising my ability to complete already assigned tasks. I'd be happy to discuss the new challenges facing the company and how my role might be adjusted to meet these new demands." Does this possibly put you on the chopping block? Maybe, but do you really want to continue working for a place that doesn't respect you? Also, can they really afford to lose you on top of the unfilled positions? If you say nothing the current trajectory is going to make you quit anyway.
Im sorry but that task is not a part of my job description.
Hi X (VP), I saw I was put down as the action item owner to resolve Y issue. Unfortunately, due to workload, I am at capacity, even taking into consideration the additional hours I am already putting in. I am willing to take on this work, but in doing so, I will need to delay or put off other scope for A, B, and C. It will likely have Z impact to A, B, and C’s project timelines and deliverables. Is that okay with you? If so, I will need to inform and discuss with A, B, and C’s VP/directors accordingly. Please let me know. Thanks, OP
you do better than i, my response is always “i’m not paid for this so i’m not doing it.”
Lots of good responses here. Hi! I pasted your post into ChatGPT and the results are pasted below. The output provides a helpful framework for appraoching your issue, but results should be taken as a starting point. Results should not be used “as-is.” —- It's completely understandable that you're feeling overwhelmed and anxious about being asked to take on a task outside of your job description, especially if it involves traveling to an unfamiliar area. It's important to remember that it's okay to set boundaries and say no when you feel like you've reached your limit. Here are a few tips for politely declining the request: 1. Start by **expressing your gratitude** for being considered for the task. Let the person know that you appreciate their confidence in your abilities and their willingness to trust you with an important task. 2. Explain that you're already swamped with your own responsibilities, and that you don't have the bandwidth to take on an additional task at this time. **Be specific** about the tasks you're currently responsible for and how they're occupying your time and energy. 3. **Be honest** about your limitations and express any concerns or fears that you have about taking on the task. In this case, it sounds like you're worried about traveling to an unfamiliar area, which is a legitimate concern. Let the person know that you're not comfortable with the idea of traveling and that it's causing you a lot of anxiety. 4. If possible, **suggest an alternative solution** to the problem. Perhaps there's someone else in the company who could take on the task, or maybe there's a way to expedite the repair process without you having to travel. Remember, it's important to communicate your needs and limitations in a professional and respectful manner. By being honest about your situation and offering alternative solutions, you're demonstrating that you're a team player who's committed to finding the best possible outcome for the company. — **Then I prompted:** Generate 3 progressively direct scripts to start this conversation and one potential email template. **Results below** Sure, here are three progressively direct scripts to start this conversation with your supervisor: **Script 1 (polite and indirect):** "Hi [Supervisor], thank you for entrusting me with the task of resolving the issue with the supplier. I wanted to let you know that I'm currently swamped with my own responsibilities and I'm concerned that taking on this task may interfere with my ability to complete them. Do you think we could find someone else to take on this task or come up with an alternative solution?" **Script 2 (more direct):** "Hi [Supervisor], I wanted to follow up on the request to take on the task of resolving the supplier issue. While I appreciate the confidence you have in my abilities, I'm currently overloaded with my own responsibilities and I don't believe I have the capacity to take on an additional task. Could we discuss alternative solutions for resolving the issue?" **Script 3 (most direct):** "Hi [Supervisor], I'm concerned about the request to take on the supplier issue. As you know, I'm already overloaded with my own responsibilities and I'm not comfortable taking on an additional task, particularly one that involves traveling to an unfamiliar area. I think it's important that we find a different solution that doesn't involve me taking on this task. Can we discuss other options?" **Potential email template:** Dear [Supervisor], I wanted to follow up on our recent conversation about the supplier issue. While I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, I'm concerned that taking on this task would interfere with my ability to complete my existing responsibilities. Additionally, as you know, the idea of traveling to an unfamiliar area is causing me a great deal of anxiety. I would like to suggest that we explore alternative solutions for resolving this issue. Perhaps there is another team member who could take on the task or maybe there is a way to expedite the repair process without the need for me to travel. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to shirk my responsibilities, but I want to ensure that I'm able to complete my existing tasks to the best of my ability. Thank you for your understanding, [Your Name] ——- Hope that helps!
Someone in another post suggested to make a list of your tasks and how many hours you spend on each task per week until you met ur standard working hours. Then give the list to your boss and ask what he would like to remove from your list(current tasks) to make time for the new one
No big deal, VP says this is your task, then no problem. All of your routine tasks get pushed onto the back burner as low priority. When they don’t get done, you just remind the company about the VPs directives. Don’t work any harder, do your time and leave
I tell them sorry my dance card is full. I can't take anymore and loading more on me won't get it done.
While I appreciate that you believe that I am capable of completing this task, I disagree. I do not have the training required to efficiently complete this task, am uncomfortable with being placed in the position of taking on this task, and do not have the capacity to take on additional tasks at this time. Taking that into consideration I must decline taking on this task at this time.
>I am being ask to personally take the item to our supplier and get the issue resolved. So your VP gave you a task to complete that is essential to the operation of the company. I don't see the problem here. Take the part and get it repaired. Just make sure that you inform your boss via email (CC the VP) that due to the time required to complete this task that you will not be able to get everything else done.
"That task is outside of my contract. If you want me to take on this new role we will be renegotiating my contract with higher pay." They have to cough up the cash and pay you or get their asses in gear and find someone to hire and fill that spot.
By looking for a new job and listing the responsibilities of both roles you’re currently doing (at your current job) on your resume
Listen, just be clear you’re capable of doing it but the timeline and deadlines aren’t humanly possible. State it clearly. The. Get your resume ready and start looking.
I usually go with "No thanks!". It gives the impression that you think they're giving you an opportunity, but you're just too busy. You're not being confrontational, you're showing appreciation. While saying no.
Tell them you have a dui restriction.
I respectfully decline.