“Whatever happened to circling back after the New Year?” That’s what one X (Twitter) user asked via a post that garnered hundred of likes.
If you’ve been feeling like people are working harder than ever as we gear up to the holidays, you’re not alone.
As previously reported by ESSENCE, participants in a June 2020 survey from Statista were asked if they thought their workload had increased while working from home during the coronavirus pandemic and a whopping 55.2 percent of respondents said ‘yes.’ In another report by JobSage, 78% of workers have experienced an increased workload with no additional compensation and 67% said they took on the work of a coworker who exited their role.
With this, the holiday workplace wind-down doesn’t feel the same as it has in the past for many workers, and it’s driving the need for boundary setting. Workplace Communications Consultant Jenna Rogers specializes in improving workplace communication for women through her company Career Civility.
“With 66% of employees reporting additional stress at work during the holidays, it’s critical to prioritize and communicate boundaries at work this season, especially for women who are at greater risk of burnout,” she tells ESSENCE in a statement.
She shared a few tips that we can all use to clearly communicate our boundaries while still being a team player.
1.Remember time is your most valuable asset: You will never get this time in your life back again. But work? That’ll be there the minute you get back. Always. Remind yourself of this fleeting reminder whenever you are about to ask for time off.
2.Manage your workload: When you need to set a boundary around saying NO to additional work before year end, try this:
“Hey xx, I recognize this is a need for the business at this time. I’m currently working on wrapping up ABC before the end of the year. With a tight timeline, and only a couple weeks left in 2023, do I need to re-prioritize what I’m working on? I can’t take on any new work, but I can shift focus if needed.”
3.Explicitly communicate expectations around time off: Understand what time off means to you and your organization. Does your employer expect you to be on call? To be responding to emails? Are you able to fully disconnect? Can you leave your phone/computer at home? What about email on your mobile? These are all essential questions to ask yourself (and your management team) to ensure expectations are clear and consistent. When you need to communicate expectations around time off, try this:
“Hey team, with the busiest time of year around the corner and recognizing the holiday season is upon us, the goal of this email is to ensure expectations around time off and work-related projects are communicated.
– Expectation # 1
– Expectation # 2
– Expectation # 3
Questions? Always here!”
4.Lead by example: If you are scheduled to take time off yourself, do NOT respond to emails, slacks, or meeting requests. If you are always available, even while out of the office, it sets the tone and standard for others to always be available. This is true for both managers and individual contributors. This WILL results in a lack of trust and higher levels of burnout.
