10 polite ways to say no to extra work

Apr 15, 2025 TOI Lifestyle Desk

How to politely decline extra work?

If there's one event you never know is going to occur, it's that call to work a weekend or to take up one extra project that is absolutely urgent. This can be when you are already suppressed under 10 other projects or just enjoying a holiday. How to say no politely to extra work: iStock

Schedule it

If you do not have the capacity to take up extra work at the present moment, say something like "I'll work on this first thing on Monday morning or tomorrow morning" iStock

Suggest someone else

If you can not take up a certain project, consider recommending someone who would be willing to take up the offer and would be interested in it. This can be a colleague whose forte lies in the project and who would be passionate about it. iStock

Share your priorities

If you already have a task that is urgent, share that by saying, "I can't do that because my priority is on something else." Research from the 1970s shows adding "because" makes the other person more willing to oblige. iStock

Rethink the timeline

Rather than turning down the request, you could ask for a different timeline when completing the work could be possible for you. iStock

Express your work

If you have multiple projects going on, and the new task requires your undivided attention, you can say something like "I'm not able to give this the attention it deserves" and express what you have lined up. iStock

Lack of resources

There could be times when a task is outside your expertise or you do not have the resources to complete it. In such a case, you can say, "I'm not equipped with enough resources to take this on" iStock

Share your timeline

If you already have projects but could have taken up a task if there was space, you can politely say, "My calendar's at capacity, but I'll let you know if that changes" iStock

Ask for a swap

If you wish to do a project, but do not have a space for it in your schedule, you can politely ask if you could put one of your projects on the back burner so that you can prioritise the new one. iStock

Decline politely

If you have been presented with an unreasonable request like completing a big project in one business day and it would affect the quality of the work, you may ask for an extension, which if not given, you can say, "I'm sorry as I won't be able to take this up" iStock

Accept opportunities

You don't always have to decline extra work. Sometimes some opportunities are too good to pass up, in such a case, try fitting the work into your existing schedule and if you feel more motivated, work overtime for a day or two. iStock

Next: 10 tips by Sadhguru for a happy married life

Thanks For Reading! Read Next