If you are asked to complete work that isn’t a part of your normal workload, begin with a short and direct refusal that remains polite. Remind the asker that you have work of your own to complete and that you do not have room in your schedule for more. If they continue to ask, insist on adequate compensation.
Here’s how to tell someone that you have your own work to do politely.
How to Tell Someone that You Have Your Own Work to Do
When you are initially asked to take on more work but know that you can’t do that and complete your own work at the same time, it’s going to be important to emphasize that you are prioritizing the job you were hired to do.
So, begin by thanking the asker for considering you to take on this work. Acknowledge that it’s important and that it needs to be done, then move into explaining why you personally cannot be the one to complete the project. Give short, simple answers here, and perhaps suggest an alternate solution.
If the asker insists that you be…