Cosmopolitan India – August 2019

102 COSMOPOLITAN AUGUST 2019 FOR MORE GREAT STORIES, VISIT COSMO.IN

work

Ph

oto

gra

ph

:^ R

OH

IT^

DH

ING

RA

HOW TO

SPEAK

UP FOR

YOURSELF

Overworked? Underpaid? And at risk of

burnout? Here’s how to stand up for your

rights (without getting fired). By Mel Evans

S

orry is supposed to be the hardest word (if Elton John is to

be believed...and he almost always is). But step inside any

workplace across the world and you’ll find it tripping off our

tongues in the boardroom, post room, stationery cupboard,

and kitchenette. So much so that it won’t surprise you to know that

women apologise more frequently than men, and are far more likely

to keep quiet when something really does need saying. To ensure

that what you think of as basic human decency isn’t mistaken for

weakness, try our no-frills guide to not taking any crap at work.

A little overtime is often

unavoidable—but if you

constantly find yourself

working after hours on

your own once the rest of

the team’s gone home, you

need to ask why.

What to do about it:

First, look at what you have

on and how you manage

your time. Are you being

productive during the day?

Or do you flit between tasks

and struggle to focus?

Make sure that the

reason you’re working late

is because your colleagues

aren’t doing as much as

they should be; then think

about what you can hand

over and arrange a group

meeting. “Say something

like, ‘I understand we need

to achieve X, but I’m not

able to give my best because

I am doing so much. I’d

appreciate it if we could

share the workload’,” says

Australian business coach

Julie Alexander.

If your colleagues say

they also feel overworked,

then ask HR or your

manager if you might be

able to expand your team.

Build a strong case that

includes a breakdown of

how much everyone is

already doing, and highlight

the potential consequences

of not hiring a new

member. Explain how an

extra person will boost the

whole team’s performance.

An over-excited newcomer

has decided that your to-do

list appeals more than

theirs. Now you’re clashing

over the same tasks. Worse,

they’re taking all the praise.

What to do about it:

Ask yourself if it’s

intentional. They may be

under pressure or just

want to help. Once you’ve

looked at the bigger picture,

arrange to speak to them

away from their desk. “You

could say something like, ‘I

don’t think we are getting

the best results by both

doing the same tasks’,”

suggests Julie. Remind

them what jobs you’ve been

assigned and put forward

others they could (read:

should) be doing instead.

The Situation

YOU’RE THE ONLY

ONE STAYING LATE

The Situation

THEY’RE TAKING CREDIT

FOR YOUR WORK