Setting boundaries: How to deal with excessive workloads

Many employers are under pressure to perform at the moment. Talent shortages, as well as rising costs, mean we’re forced to do more with less.

If you’re one of the workers bearing the brunt of this pressure, it may be time to set some boundaries so you aren’t exploited.

To assist in this, Women Rising released a guide that can help employees avoid being taken advantage of. Below are 10 tips to push back against a manager who can’t take no for an answer:

1. Clearly define your priorities.
2. Be prepared and confident.
3. Use “I” statements.
4. Offer alternatives.
5. Provide evidence and data.
6. Seek support from colleagues.
7. Document and track your workload.
8. Request a one-on-one meeting.
9. Know your rights and company policies.
10. Consider escalation options.

While these issues can affect anybody, Women Rising highlighted that women are more susceptible to this exploitation. In fact, according to the recent The Voice of Women at Work 2023 Report, 49 per cent of the women respondents said they struggled with setting boundaries and saying “no”. Meanwhile, 55 per cent of women said they took on more work than they should, and 45 per cent identified as people pleasers.

Leaders should look to empower and support their employees, not take advantage of them during tough times. To assist, Women Rising gave five tips for setting boundaries from the top that can help support women in the workplace:

1. Create a culture of open communication.
2. Lead by example.
3. Promote training and development.
4. Recognise and reward boundary management.
5. Don’t overload your people with unmanageable workloads.

Eliminating these problems may not seem like the most pressing matter, but excessive workloads can actually cause harm. According to the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU), “excessive workloads can really harm mental, emotional, and physical health, and fatigue is a major cause of workplace accidents and incidents”.

A dangerous misconception is that workloads are the responsibility of the individual, and employees have themselves to blame if they aren’t able to manage their time effectively. While this may be true in some instances, this is an argument that allows for exploitation, with HACSU noting that “this is a blatant attempt to shift their responsibility onto staff”.

So, how can staff recognise if they’re being hit with unnecessary workloads? HACSU said some methods for identifying issues are:

• Inadequate time to complete work
• Insufficient number of staff to complete work
• Excessive hours
• Insufficient breaks
• Performing tasks beyond your position’s statement of duties
• Lack of necessary resources to carry out the work
• Rostering with inadequate time for rest to avoid fatigue

If employees are to work to their best ability and remain happy and engaged, workloads must be reasonable and manageable.