When several tasks exceed the time or resources available, make the conflict visible before promising every deadline. A useful conversation brings facts, consequences and options, rather than relying on a general statement that you are too busy.
Bring the task list and ask which priority should change
Show what is due, what capacity is available and what will happen if nothing changes. Ask for a decision about priority, scope, timing or resources.
- List the relevant tasks, deadlines and dependencies.
- Estimate the work remaining and identify uncertain assumptions.
- Compare it with realistic available capacity.
- Explain the likely consequence of the conflict.
- Offer practical options and ask the responsible person to choose.
- Confirm the decision and follow up if conditions change.
If a task raises an immediate safety or urgent operational concern, follow the relevant procedure promptly. Do not wait for a routine workload meeting to report it.
Separate workload from a personal judgment
“I cannot handle anything” is difficult for another person to act on. “These assignments need more time than the available work period” identifies a decision.
Also check whether the obstacle is missing information, an unfamiliar task or repeated interruptions. Additional training may help one problem, while another needs a priority or resource change. Do not assume that every capacity problem can be solved through better personal organization.
Review CCOHS guidance on psychosocial workplace hazards for context on workload and conflicting demands.
You will go to https://www.ccohs.ca
The checklist is not a diagnosis or a finding that a particular employer has violated a rule.
Work through a capacity example
Imagine a fictional afternoon with four usable hours after fixed meetings. Three assignments remain:
| Task | Estimated work | What depends on it |
|---|---|---|
| A: prepare customer figures | 3 hours | Tomorrow’s customer discussion |
| B: update the internal record | 2 hours | Another team’s next step |
| C: draft a process note | 3 hours | A review later in the week |
Eight hours of estimated work do not fit four hours of capacity. The estimate may need checking, but quietly accepting all three deadlines does not resolve the difference.
A useful request is: “I can complete A this afternoon, or B plus part of C. Which result is needed first? Could C move, or can someone take part of B?” The manager may know a dependency you missed. Update the plan when that information arrives.
Offer options with their trade-offs
Change timing: move a deadline while checking the consequence for other work. Change scope: deliver a smaller useful output now and the remainder later. Change resources: redistribute a defined task where another person has capacity and competence.
Explain the remaining risk. A shorter report may support one decision but leave an analysis unfinished. Another colleague may need time for a proper handoff. Do not present an option as cost-free simply because it moves work elsewhere.
If you are still learning the task, ask whether supervised support is available rather than hiding the gap. Our upskilling guide can help when missing capability is part of the problem.
Use a concise conversation structure
Start with the shared objective, then the facts: “I want the customer discussion to have accurate figures. These three assignments require more time than remains today.” Present the options and ask for a priority decision.
Avoid opening with assumptions that a colleague is lazy or a manager does not care. You can be direct about the problem without claiming to know another person’s motive.
Read CCOHS guidance on clear expectations and practical workplace support for a broader communication framework.
You will go to https://www.ccohs.ca
Confirm what changed
After the conversation, summarize the task order, revised deadline, scope and responsible people through the normal work channel. For the example, the record might say that A remains today, B is reassigned and C moves to Thursday.
If nothing changed, state the unresolved conflict and ask which process should address it. Do not write a hostile message or create an unauthorized recording. A short factual record is more useful than a long account of assumed motives.
Review recurring patterns
If the same conflict returns, bring several representative examples: planned workload, actual changes and the effects on delivery. Ask whether expectations, staffing, process or tools need review.
Use the feedback approach to discuss observable work. For hybrid arrangements, clarify availability and attendance through the work-arrangement process rather than assuming remote days create unlimited capacity.
Use appropriate support when the concern goes beyond prioritization
Persistent distress, harassment, unsafe conditions or questions about working-time rights may need a different route. Depending on your situation, that could involve an appropriate workplace support service, representative, qualified healthcare professional or relevant authority.
Our burnout-concerns guide distinguishes career planning from clinical support. No workload script guarantees a change, and local rights should be verified separately. The practical goal is a clear decision about the work, with facts and consequences visible.