How to complain about your work load?
 

Let's say my normal tasks are called A.

Let's also say that I've been given additional tasks that are somewhat related to my position, but not really and that is called B.

Well technically as B increases, A is supposed to decrease. Except both have increased.

At the same time I see a couple jag offs doing fantasy football for several hours a day and reading Harry Potter at their desks.

I'm not here to tattle. I just want to get this crap off my plate. But how?

-Rudey

Tell your boss that all of your time spent doing B is taking away the time you need to spend on A and see if there is anyway you can train/give guidance/whatever to Harry Potter so he can do B. Don't make it sound like you're whining or like "ooh I have so much work and these guys are slacking" but just that you're overwhelmed and you'd like help.

-Lil' Hannah
--Leave the fantasy football guy alone though.

Don't worry about the slackers - your issue is being over-assigned.

Go to your boss and say:

You've given me some tasks to do (B), which are in addition to the tasks I have already been working on (A). I do not have enough time to do both. (if necessary, have an estimate of how long each of these tasks takes, and any deadlines if applicable).
Which ones should I focus on?

If you boss says something boneheaded like "both" then repeat and rephrase the question: I do not have enough time to do both well; can you recommend a way to do them better/faster or do you have a preference for which one is not given my full priority?

Keep in mind that I work for a SMALL company (there's only 3 admin people here), but if your office was like mine here's what I'd do:

DO NOT say: "Harry Potter, I noticed that you have nothing to do, could you possibly do this report for me?"

I would say: "Lisa, I've got the XYZ report due today and the ABC report due tomorrow and I would like to do them both well, could you please help me with them"

Unless you're getting a raise for taking on more work, quit. I'm in the same situation right now and I've spoken up on numerous occasions to my employer who still hasn't given me the raise I was promised...

I like this suggestion.

Another way to bring it to your boss' attention would be to ask what takes priority, A or B?

I've asked for help from a specific person in the office, who, technically is supposed to help me out when I need it (i.e. my backup for certain things). I was told by my boss that she was too busy and couldn't help me......(read: tough it out). Now I do my job, and many other things but I do it in my own time. I get stuff done when I get it done.

It sucks, but it pretty much works out.

I agree with what you're saying, but the boss might hear this as "Hi, I'm too much of a slacker/wussy/incompetent ass to do my work wah wah please help." If you want to get out of work, I think you have to be more subtle and find a way to finesse your way out of it -- "Hey, I think Jacknuts over there reading a children's book would provide a great perspective on this bullshit B project -- how about I get him involved?" Then you try to get him to do as much of the work as possible.

Or, just do the work or quit and go live on a commune with the rest of the hippies who don't want to work 90 hours a week. If you're seeing daylight outside the office more than once a week or getting more than four hours of sleep, you have time to get the work done.

It's more complicated than what I said.

Task A and Task B are run by different guys. The only people above these guys are execs. The only Junior person that understands Task B is me (it's really complex). So it's not like one person controls both task assignments and it's not like Task B can be given to another person.

And Harry Potter guy? Everyone hates him and we think he's psycho because he screamed at/threatened us and constantly hammers his desk for no reason and laughs to himself (and I told him I'd punch him in his throat if he ever came within 3 feet of my desk). So if I ask him to help it would mean working with a psycho moron. And if I go to someone higher and ask him to get more tasks under the Task A category, they would think I'm out to get him.

And lastly, I can't just quit without something else in my pocket. I'm not spontaneous enough I guess.

-Rudey

Or move to Kentucky. Nobody I know works 90 hours a week unless they want to. Of course, you would have to put up with a lot of rednecks, is the only thing...

You're not going to of any help to anyone if you wind up getting sick from the stress that you're under.

Tell Harry Potter guy that you'll get him a Harry Potter related item of his choice provided he helps you out and keeps his distance. He may be a psycho moron but he does have his price.

Then start looking for another job.

Re: How to complain about your work load?
 

Hrmm . . well confrontation is an important part of the work place and if you can confront in an effective manner people will respect you.

I would go to your direct boss and ask his advice.

Boss I need to know which task, a or b is more important to you. I am running into time problems doing both tasks and I wanted to know which you wanted to prioritize and work out a timetable with you so that I can get both done.

Then fill him in on the amount of work being done and about how fast you can do it. Your bosses might not even consciously realize how much work you have to do. You could even suggest that you could do it faster if they assigned you more assets (people).

That co-opts them, it lets them know where are you, and it enables them to pick amongst your work load. It also covers your ass because they were involved in the time table for completion.

In other words they can no longer blame you.

Technically you report to someone who is responsible for what you do. While no one person controls both A and B, one person most likely controls YOU. So this person needs to be aware of the situation. Buy him some coffee and casually chat. You don't want to complain but inform...If nothing happens, then you have done your best.

And stay away from psycho guy. We had a psycho girl once. She went off the deep end once and had to be escourted out....

I thought you worked in investment banking. I guess I have a hard time imagining crazy Harry Potter reading types in that type of high stress/high pay/high demand type of job. Who's kid is he?