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The original was posted on /r/lifeprotips by /u/seanmashitoshi on 2025-05-30 10:43:37+00:00.
Original Title: LPT:When overworked and more is added, don't say 'no, I can't' or 'I'm over loaded with work', instead say 'sure, I can do it after I finish ___ and have it to you by ___" But make the date much later.
If that's too late for them, they are the ones pulling the request and not you declining. Instead of them feeling you refused their request, they'll feel like they'll need to find an alternative. You won't have to argue your case or face backlash.
The other side of this is they tell you to not do whatever you're working on and to prioritise their request, in which case, you do that because you've got permission to push other tasks back and if anyone has a problem with that, you direct them to whomever had you do that.
This response works because you are not declining anything, you're just pawning off the decision making (and so the blame taking) to whomever is asking you to do something. Whatever happens from this point, you're in the clear but one thing is for sure, you won't be tasked with doing more than you can handle (or paid for)