How to say 'No' politely to the extra work amid lockdown

Due to Coronavirus lockdown, people have been forced to stay at home to stop the contagious disease from spreading. Despite that, many people are working from home in order to keep their work and company afloat in the business. This has led to people having a dilemma about whether to say no to extra work being given to them or working for longer shift hours.

Some people believe that employees can put in those hours to work which they would have otherwise spent getting ready and travelling for work, socialising or finding pleasures in outdoor activities. While all this stands true, it has become even more important to draw the line and say no to extra work or working extra hours to maintain the sanity and be able to relax. Working at an office and coming back to home allows the mind to relax as soon as one steps out of their office, which is not happening during the lockdown. The leisure-space has become the workspace, and with family or friends who are all working on different frequencies, it also affects productivity.

Even during the lockdown, there could be plenty of people who would not be able to say no due to a number of reasons. Possibly because they all want to be easy to work with, maybe get a promotion that we have been eyeing or maintain the reputation that they have earned through months and years of consistent work. While we understand that it is not easy to say no during the lockdown as there are no excuses like ‘going out’ or ‘doctor’s appointment’ or ‘an important event to attend’, here are ways to politely refuse or disagree when you want to without risking your reputation.

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How to say 'No' politely when you do not want to take up extra work

Scenario one:

Your boss or senior executive contacts you towards the end of your workday and asks you to work on something that might just take a couple of hours more. Now, even though you are exhausted, you are afraid to say no because you know the job will get done in a couple of hours and saying no will make you look bad. So try saying this instead of a straight-up no.

"Hey! Thanks for thinking of me for this task but today was a long day for me and involved a lot of brainstorming of ideas which has left me exhausted. Though I would have loved to do the task, I might not be able to do justice to it or live up to your expectations as my productivity would be low at the moment. If it is not absolutely urgent, may I take it up tomorrow?"

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Scenario two:

You are already piled up with many projects and tasks when your supervisor contacts you for an additional project to be done. Even though the project could be an exciting one, you must understand your capacity and be willing to decline it. Try saying this to your supervisor. 

"Hey! Thanks for thinking of for this project. The project looks interesting and something I would have loved working on. But I have planned my coming week to complete (name the project or task). I am afraid if I take up this project in the meantime, I might not be able to give my best to either."

Scenario three:

You are contacted by your boss after your work hours and the work needs to be sent out as soon as possible. While you feel obligated to work on it, you had planned to catch up on reading that book you left midway or watching a movie with your family. It may seem a little intimidating to tell your boss a 'no' because it might offend him or tar your reputation. Here is how you can politely deny it.

"Hey! Thank you so much for thinking of me for this, but I am afraid I won't be able to accomplish the given task in the allotted time as I am in the middle of something I won't be able to get out of at the moment and might end up not giving my best to the task being given."

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