Just Say No

I mentioned last week that I was attempting to tackle my workaholicism and received several e-mails in response, nearly all from current and former colleagues inquiring how I could claim to be addicted to work when I evidently did so little.

I’ll provide an answer, but first I would like to respond to the one message that didn’t make this hilarious gag. It came from a reader, a self-confessed workaholic, and asked how he could change his ways when his boss had got so used to him slaving away.

The query raised one of the most profound challenges of modern existence: how to say “no” to your boss without making it sound like a four-letter word? Which is not to say that uttering “no” isn’t difficult elsewhere. As a parent it’s hard because you want your children to be happy, but at the same time you don’t want them to turn out like Paris Hilton. As a child it’s hard because you want your friends to think you’re cool, but at the same time you don’t necessarily want to smoke crack cocaine.

But nowhere is “no” more difficult to utter than at work. Corporate culture is essentially upbeat. We are meant to spew in gratitude at opportunities to spend extra time in the office and squeal with delight at chances to take on extra work. But what if you want to sleep or watch the occasional episode of Grand Designs?

Unfortunately, professional advice on the topic is somewhat ropey…

Read atTimes Online