🙅‍♂️ Q: My colleague is leaving the company, and some of her work will be allocated to me. How can I say no to the additional work?

A: Saying NO at work is like doing yoga — looks easy, feels impossible, but totally worth learning.

First things first:
If you’ve already accepted the work, then backing out now = 🚩 (red flag alert). Not a great move unless there’s a solid reason.

But if you see this coming ahead of time — before the handover begins — you’ve got a shot at saying no the right way.

The golden rule?
Your “NO” should come with a strong, logical, and professional reason. Here are a few you can use:

• “I’m already managing a full workload.”
• “This area is outside my current expertise.”
• “I want to give 100% to my current responsibilities.”
• “I have pre-approved leave coming up.”

Saying no doesn’t make you lazy. It means you value quality over quantity.

💡 Pro tip: A well-timed, well-reasoned NO can actually earn you more respect than a blind yes.