11 Phrases Smart People Use To Politely Avoid More Work
These people live by the advice to 'work smarter, not harder.'
Miljan Zivkovic | Shutterstock Despite what many people believe, a regular 9-to-5 job doesn't exactly pay people enough to be putting in Michelin star work. Regardless of how far some may think minimum wage gets employees, in the end, if someone is still working paycheck to paycheck, it might be high time to relax a little bit. And with the phrases smart people use to politely avoid more work, they can avoid burnout and feeling overwhelmed.
Like everyone else, intelligent people are also living paycheck to paycheck, putting their heads down and working hard for their money. But when employers and even colleagues take advantage of them being great workers, something might shift in them, and they will no longer break their back trying to satisfy people who don't appreciate them.
Here are 11 phrases smart people use to politely avoid more work
1. 'I'd love to help, but my plate is full right now'
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All too often, workers will take on a huge workload because they feel as if they have no other choice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current job market hit an all-time low with around 7.2 million people unemployed. Because of this, many companies take advantage of their employees' limited opportunities to assign more work than they originally signed up for, causing them a significant amount of stress and burnout.
But smart people already know that their employers are likely not going to fire them for simply refusing to take on an unexpected project. As scary as it may be to assert themselves, these individuals understand that hiring someone new and training them is more effort than it's worth. So, while it might be intimidating, they use corporate jargon to put their foot down so they aren't taken advantage of in the future.
2. 'Let me check my schedule and get back to you'
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There's no worse feeling than being prepared to have a relaxing day at work, just to have that one boss or co-worker pile on more. Already overwhelmed from their workload, it's frustrating that employees can't have one day to take a breather for even a moment.
But one of the phrases smart people use to politely avoid more work is "Let me check my schedule and get back to you," which really means "I'm not going to check my schedule, but I am going to think of a perfect excuse to say no to you in a polite way."
Corporations don't pay employees enough to have them working overtime for weeks on end. And a pizza party or a pat on the back isn't enough to justify taking on more work for a boss who won't even give them the recognition and rewards they deserve.
According to data from ADP Research, in 2023, around 6.5% of people got promoted. While bosses might not think too much of it, they shouldn't expect employees to put in more effort for the same amount of pay. Unless bosses are willing to stand up for their employees, they shouldn't expect their workers to do the same.
3. 'I don't think I'm the best fit for this, but I'd be happy to support you in another way'
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Everyone's been in a situation where they're minding their own business, sitting with their head down and doing their work, only to receive an unexpected message or phone call from their boss asking them to take on a project. Already fed up because they haven't had a break, it's easy for employees to lose their temper and want to tell their boss to go away.
But smart people tell it like it is and follow it up by saying they'll help in any other way that makes sense. Is this ideal for their boss? No, but people are better at handling honesty than others think. According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, people overestimate how negatively others will react when, in actuality, they can afford to be more honest.
So, while it might be terrifying to set those boundaries, never be afraid to say no. After all, they aren't paying their employees enough to bend over backwards for their job anyway.
4. 'Let me revisit this at a later date'
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How many times has an employee had a mental breakdown because of the everyday stressors at work? If they're like most people, probably at least once or twice. It's unfortunate, but many employees don't feel recognized or appreciated in their roles, despite how hard they may work. So, when their boss or another co-worker piles on more work, they lose their minds.
But a phrase smart people use to avoid more work is "Let me revisit this at a later date." This is equivalent to saying, "I will stall and try to avoid this commitment as much as possible." It's sad to say, but most employees don't feel comfortable enough rejecting their boss's high demands. As a result, they might actively choose to agree as, according to a survey from YouGov, 48% of people identify as people-pleasers.
5. 'That's outside my current scope, but I can help brainstorm ideas'
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Bosses sometimes want their employees to take on extra work, despite it not being in their job description. While it might sound foolish and disrespectful, many bosses and even co-workers will test employees and guilt-trip them into doing something that's outside their scope of practice.
Despite how uncomfortable they are, most bosses don't care. As long as they have someone to take care of a role they could have hired someone else for, or at the bare minimum promoted them for, bosses will usually choose to overwork their employees.
According to a 2021 Indeed's Work Wellbeing Playbook, 52% of all workers are feeling burned out. As such, workers may resort to certain phrases smart people use to politely avoid more work, refusing to bend over backwards for people who don't care.
In order to help their employees avoid exhaustion and burnout, employers are encouraged to be more flexible, create a work-life balance for their employees, and reevaluate the perks and benefits they offer their workers.
6. 'I'm stretched pretty thin right now. Can anyone else jump in?'
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Despite how hard most people work, they are expected to take on more work with zero consideration from their employers. In order to combat this, "I'm stretched pretty thin right now. Can anyone else jump in?" is one of the phrases smart people use to politely avoid more work.
Sometimes, it's okay for people to say, "I can't do this." Even though it's understandable that they want to take on the workload to avoid burdening others, in all honesty, they're burdening themselves and destroying their mental well-being in the process.
According to clinical psychologist Monica Vermani, "The impacts of chronic workplace stress and burnout include physical symptoms like fatigue, hypertension, difficulty concentrating, irritability, changes in appetite, insomnia, headaches, and — in the long term — an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and serious heart issues."
People should never feel bad for telling it how it is. If someone truly doesn't have time for something, they should relay that they cannot take on another task. Remember: employers don't usually care enough about whether their employees are living paycheck to paycheck, so why should their employees care if they're inconvenienced?
7. 'I'd hate to slow things down. Maybe someone else would be a better fit'
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In the corporate world, especially, sometimes people have to lie to survive. They may admit that they don't have the skills necessary to accomplish the task, but the point of a phrase like this is to appear like a burden rather than a solution.
Employees are already pulling overtime for a job that pays them minimum wage. According to data from ADP Research, in January 2021, people working unpaid overtime jumped to 9.2 hours a week. So, even if it's rude or a lie, uttering this phrase and following it up with an "Unfortunately, I don't know how to do this assignment since it's outside my scope of practice" is more than okay.
8. 'This isn't something I can take on right now, but let me know how I can help in another way'
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There are only so many ways for someone to say "no" until their boss takes the hint. It's not like employees are trying to be dismissive or disrespectful, but many bosses forget just how hard their employees are working on a day-to-day basis.
From spending an unnecessary amount of time in meetings to working tirelessly on projects, the last thing any employee should have to do is work overtime because their boss didn't plan better. Not only is this stressful on the employee, but it can make them feel disrespected. And according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, feeling disrespected often leads to an increase in aggression, compared to being disliked. As most bosses can imagine, this isn't exactly great for the work environment.
9. 'If it's urgent, you might want to check in with someone who's available'
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It's a tale as old as time: bosses rushing their employees to give them more work, expecting them to drop everything they're doing to cater to their every whim, and then inevitably getting mad when they don't finish it all. While this phrase is a bit harsh, the point is to be clear and direct with their communication.
Many employees skate around the issue instead of telling their boss or co-workers how they feel. If they can't pick up more work and are already busy with something at the moment, they can tell them that if it's that urgent, they can get someone else to do it. While bosses won't exactly be happy, very rarely will they fire a valuable employee for a reason like this.
10. 'I'm not going to be able to take that on today'
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It's easy to want to make excuses when an employee doesn't want to disappoint those around them. Feeling overwhelmed and pressured, some might even give into the impossible demands and stay overtime just to help. But by using this phrase, they can avoid exhaustion and not getting paid for extra work.
At some point, employees will need to put their foot down or they'll continue to be overworked. Far from ideal, smart people choose the hardest route of keeping it real, as they don't want to overwhelm themselves. This is for the best, since most employees know that those who are overworked eventually crash and burn, all of which can negatively impact their work ethic.
11. 'I have other urgent priorities right now'
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Employees aren't robots nor are they clones, meaning they can't magically do three people's jobs all for the price of one. Unfortunately, even if it was possible, most bosses don't pay their employees well enough to live, let alone purchase a clone of themselves.
Being completely upfront, employees are, most of the time, unappreciated. Instead of being told "Good job" and getting promoted when their work speaks for itself, they're ridiculed for not taking on more, which is why most employees don't argue back.
Yet it's important to remember that no matter what employees do, they won't be appreciated either way. So, employees should always strive to do what's best for themselves, even if it upsets their boss.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, family, and astrology topics.
