How to talk to the boss about easing workload

February 8, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Sun Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Suzy Meyer, 25, once worked as a hotel manager. “We were very short staffed. I worked 10 days on with none off.”

Then her boss approached her to work two extra days a week on a regular basis. “I know you need my help, but I would need some time off,” Meyer says she told her manager.

She never got the time off and decided to return to school, where she is now pursuing her master’s in human-resource management.

Workers who have survived layoffs but also gained extra work are feeling overworked in the recession. Many fail to confront their boss on this or other issues for fear of losing their jobs.

How can an employee constructively complain to a higher-up without being shown the door? It’s a fine line to walk, but improving your communication skills can help you navigate this minefield, experts say.

“It has to be done very tactfully,” says JoAnna Brandi, an expert in customer and employee retention in Boca Raton, Fla.

Brandi suggests employees be proactive in communication with their boss, asking, “How often would you like me to check back on this project?” Or if a worker is being presented with an unrealistic project or deadline: “I’m not sure I can get all this done in the next two weeks. Could you help me prioritize?”

Bob Preziosi, a professor of management at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla., suggests employees rehearse what they’re going to say to a boss with a friend, spouse or partner. “You’ve got to think it through real carefully, what the problem is and represent it as it’s ‘my problem,’ that it’s not an attempt to blame the boss or the organization,” he says.

Pick a good time of day to talk with your boss, when he or she tends to be energized. Be brief in your complaint and back it up with data. “This is not a time to tip-toe around the tulips. Go right for it: ‘During the first quarter of 2009, I was working 40 hours a week, now it’s 60. I’m not getting any more done because I’m worn out,’” Preziosi said.

Avoid a heated discussion with your boss. “Never push so hard you’re putting your job at risk,” Preziosi cautions. “Let your boss decide when the conversation is over. It’s important for your boss to say, ‘Thanks. We’ll talk about this some more.’”

If your boss says he or she will think about the issue, send an e-mail in about a half-hour saying, “Thanks for your time. I appreciate your listening to me.”