My boss says he wants me to take on this extra work because he knows I will do it well and he can rely on me. I’d like to think this was true but I suspect it’s because the others would resist saying they already have too much on. So I said I would like to help out but I didn’t have any space to take on extra work unless I dropped something else.

I reminded him of the things I was currently working on and asked if the new work was of a higher priority. I don’t think he liked that. He said “I thought you were ambitious, you asked for the opportunity to broaden your experience. I thought you would welcome this opportunity.”

The boss asks me to stay late because the team has a fast approaching deadline and we are behind schedule. There is no offer of overtime or extra pay it’s phrased as a personal favour. I  really don’t want to but I feel I am expected to demonstrate my commitment to the project. Plus she is a good boss. Rather than say no I feel I have to lie and say sorry and make up some excuse.

The boss has just come back from a management development course full of new ideas they want to try out. One such idea is the breakfast meeting. We have been struggling as a group to get together regularly due to busy diaries. The working day officially starts at 9 am although most of us are in the office by 8.30. The boss wants to hold a breakfast meeting once a week at 8 am.

It’s optional and to make it fun it will be in the newly opened American Dinner which is close to HQ. What’s more the boss is buying! I am not enthusiastic I already work late most days and an earlier start and longer day is not made more attractive by the prospect of having my breakfast bought for me. I say I’ll think about it. The following week the first breakfast meeting takes place and I find out everyone else attended. The boss is still maintaining it optional but I feel under a lot of  pressure.