How To Handle An After Hours Work Request

How To Handle An After Hours Work Request

If you’ve never received an email or call or WhatsApp message from your boss/manager asking you to do something work related and its after the designated time, then consider yourself extremely lucky!

So what do you do when the after hour requests start coming in? Especially with the fact that with modern technology, smartphones keep making it hard to disconnect and find the balance between work and personal time?

How To Handle An After Hours Work Request1. First figure out if it really is urgent

Having experienced this first hand, it’s always important to determine the urgency of the request and whether it really does need to be handled immediately. Sometimes emails come through and we think the worst and it might just be some ideas being bounced around or maybe the last document you sent was in the wrong format. 🤷🏾‍♀️

2. Learn to set boundaries

Remember how you vowed to work to the best of your ability for the sake of the company? What about working towards what’s best for you?

Getting a boss who’ll understand that the welfare of the company doesn’t mean you working round the clock is a pretty big deal but if they keep bombarding you with work that can be pushed to the next day then you need to have a sit down and establish boundaries. This way, you can let them know that you need a balance or come up with an agreement that will cater for such requests. This is to also show them that you also prioritize your personal time.

3. If that doesn’t work, negotiate

Another way in which you can go about this is via negotiation. This way you don’t come out as rude and you also get to know the urgency of the work which you are being given. Cool conversations with your boss always end up resulting to positive growth to one’s career. If you have a healthy dialogue with your boss this will also take away the unnecessary pressure.

How To Handle An After Hours Work Request4. Can you get ahead of the situation?

If this has already happened before, then you probably have an idea of how to work around the situation. It might mean working over time but if you can manage the work, then do it. You can also ask your coworkers how to deal with such situations if this is your first encounter.

5. Remember you come first

For you to work and thrive in such an environment, you need to remember that as much as you’re working towards a paycheck at the end of the month, your physical, mental and emotional health comes first. If you’re constantly mentally drained and physically exhausted, it might be time to sit down and think about taking a step back.

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