Things You Should Learn to Say NO to at Your Workplace!

When you join a new workplace, you're probably worried about getting everything just right. Whether it's getting along with your new colleagues, pleasing your boss, or keeping very good terms with the HR, you want to be the one who has no problem at their workplace at all.

In this process, you'll find yourself doing things against your will at times - but you'll probably let it all slide because of course, you don't want problems or wrong impressions. Yet, there are a lot of instances when you'll have to stand up and just say a NO.

    Photo courtesy: LinkedIn

Consider the following anonymous cases we have come across with a few people who have been entangled in the corporate vortex for some time now:

"I worked two weekends straight and did not ask for any extra pay. Those two weekends was a lot of traveling because of the meetings and it added to my total reimbursements. I submitted it to the HR dept. to which I got a reply - 'Please justify ownership by billing for each cab ride'...and that puzzled me entirely. The bills were approved by my reporting manager who had clearly told me that any traveling of the company does not come under my responsibility. If the employee handbook states such, you have the full right to claim the cab fares. What's ownership got to do with this?"

Let's consider another example:

"My boss started off with great opportunities for me as soon as I entered this firm. He promised me about sending me on projects to Singapore and London, and I couldn't be happier. As these plans were building up, he kept hosting fancy drinking sessions and dinners almost every night after work with the core team. He was a divorcee with no responsibilities back home and so he was free to simply spend his money at lavish places. Once, twice, thrice and then it was becoming way too frequent. Whenever I used to back off from a plan, he would make a face initially. Slowly when I stopped entertaining his daily immaturity, he developed a strong dislike towards me. It was like attending his parties and drinking sessions was a mandatory for survival inside the company. All he wanted was Yes-Men who would dance to his tunes, slaves he could just pay and take anywhere, irrespective of their personal life or issues. I left the firm after the first three months, never been happier since then!"

A last story to completely sum it up:

"My colleague at work was always a little itchy at the time of my joining. She was 6 months ahead of me in the company and even though she was assigned to assist in my training, she practically acted like a boss. Slowly, I noticed that it was getting worse as days passed. From ordering me to get her a photocopy to forcing me to change my assigned seat (so that she could chat with her good friend who sat right beside me back then), I was feeling humiliated and under utilized at the same time. In the dilemma of being the newbie who tattles and the newbie who gets crushed, I decided to choose the former. I went up to the person who was the actual guy leading the team both of us were in, and explained everything. At worst, I could have been ganged up on even further and if that was the case, I would have quit there and then due cultural misfit. But to my pleasant surprise, he was more than understanding. He took the necessary steps to correct her behavior and thankfully assigned me to another colleague who helped me finish my training in the first three months. Been working in this company for three years now!"

The point is - Your company pays you, it does not own you. Learn to say a NO when it is justified to do so!