Taming the workshy offloader
One of the topics I get emailed about most often is about how to deal with those who are always dumping their work on others i.e. workshy offloaders.
Workshy Offloader
A workshy offloader is a term for someone who doesn’t want to do any work but wants to take the credit for doing it. They will take every opportunity to offload their work onto others. They can be very sneaky about it and somehow, they tend to get the credit and come out smelling of roses.
In every workplace, there seems to be someone who wants to dump work on other people. They want to coast through their working life with as little strife as possible. The way they manage that is to offload their work onto others. Of course, they still ensure that, in the right circles, they still get credit for doing the work.
I have encountered many offloaders during my working life, including the following:
- The guy who used to be the most vocal in meetings, throw out great ideas then, delegate everything and do nothing until the next meeting
- The woman who collected job titles but never did any of the jobs
- The machine operator who used to let the backlog build up on his machine so that others would feel sorry for him and, jump in to help thus doing his work for him
You might think that these examples are so obvious that no one would ever fall for them. You would be sadly mistaken. In each of the cases I have outlined, senior management thought these people were amazing. Meanwhile, in the background other people were slogging away, completing work that these ‘workshy offloaders’ were being handsomely rewarded for.
You can get a copy of my FREE Report to Improve Your Focus and Increase Your Productivity which will ensure that you are working on what is important to you; not others.
Dealing with workshy offloaders
Below, I outline some of the strategies I have used for dealing with workshy offloaders that I have encountered along the way:
1. Understand them
It doesn’t seem like a strategy, but it is the first step in dealing with workshy offloaders. When you understand why they are trying to dump their work on you, you will realise the steps you need to take to resolve the issue.
The number one reason that people try to offload work on you is that they think you are a soft touch. So, it should be clear what you need to do/don’t do i.e don’t be a soft touch. Remember that your job is not about stopping them offloading work onto others. Your job is to stop them from offloading work on to you. In most cases, once you have shown them that you are not a soft touch, they will quickly move onto someone else.
Defend your time when others try to dump work on you. Your job is not about stopping them offloading work; it is to stop them offloading work on to you. Show them you are not a soft touch. They will quickly move on to someone else.
2. Just say ‘No’
I know it is the most obvious advice of the lot, but you really need to say ‘No’ to any workshy offloaders in your life. This simple strategy should be used most often.They depend on people who are gullible, naïve, innocent or excessively kind.
When you say ‘No’ and you say it early, you are communicating that you are none of these things. They will quickly move on to the next person.
Helpful hint
‘No’ is a full sentence. You do not need to offer a reason if you do not wish to. Remember that once you give them a reason, you give them something to argue with.
3. Nip it in the bud
These issues are easier dealt with as soon as possible. You may be nervous about saying no to the workshy offloader in your life but you need to realise when they first ask you to do something for them, they are just as tentative about asking you. If you set the standard at this point, they will accept it quickly and move on. They usually don’t like confrontation or conflict as it highlights their true nature so, deal with it early.
I was working in a factory when I was moved to a new shift. I knew that the technician on the shift was a workshy offloader so, I was prepared. When we finished an order, it was his job to wrap up the old labels and put hem away.
A few shifts in, he asked me to wrap up some labels which he had taken out the day before. I was intrigued to see where it would lead so I agreed and did it. 3 hours later, we finished another order. He took the old labels out and turned to me and asked me to wrap them up.
Meanwhile, he went up to the computer and did nothing. Needless to say, at the end of the shift, those labels were still sitting there waiting for him to wrap them.
Helpful hint
If somebody asks you twice, in short order, to do a job that belongs to them; you can assume that they are trying to make it your job. It is time to make a point and send a clear message.
If somebody asks you twice, in short order, to do a job that belongs to them; you can assume that they are trying to make it your job. It is time to make a point and send a clear message.
4. Run it by the boss
If your manager is someone you trust, you can run any request for help past them. But don’t just ask them if you should do it. Ask them which of your current tasks/jobs you should set aside so that you can help the workshy offloader.
The offloader will not want others to get involved and, the fact that you got your manager involved will show them that you are not going to take any nonsense.
As for your manager: when they see that you helping others is going to require you to drop something that they value; they will soon put an end to it.
Helpful hint
This only works with a manager that you trust. Also, put everything in an email and, insist all responses are via email. When people see that you are keeping a record of communication, they tend to act more favourably toward you.
5. Ask for a pay rise
This can be especially useful if your boss is not as trustworthy as needed for the previous example. Or, if your boss is the workshy offloader. Ensure that you are familiar with your job description and, as soon as work outside of that job description comes your way; tell your boss that you would be willing to consider it once you have discussed a suitable pay rise.
As pay rises have to be justified to the appropriate people, they will have to give you credit for the work. This is often enough to encourage the offloader to move on. Of course, it may also score you a pay rise if you are willing to do the work.
Helpful hint
Knowing your job description will benefit you in many areas including assertiveness, prioritisation, negotiating pay rises and more.
6. Email, email, email
This is just a follow on from the previous helpful hint. When there is no record of communication, people will say or promise anything. But when they know there is a record, they realise that they can be held to account. This encourages them to play fair.
Simply put, people are less inclined to treat you mean when you mean business. And when they know you are being professional and keeping records; they know you mean business.
Helpful hint
If you get a fudge of a response, ask for clarification. The more serious you are, the more sincere they will be.
You can get a copy of my FREE Report to Improve Your Focus and Increase Your Productivity which will ensure that you are working on what is important to you; not others.
7. Set a trap
I would only recommend this in specific situations. I once had a boss who was offloading everything on to me and then taking credit for doing the work herself. As I am a big build of a man, I didn’t want to put myself in a difficult position by confronting her face to face about dumping the work onto me. She knew this and played it to her advantage. She was also very smug about the way she did things so I knew I needed to tread carefully.
She would email me about the work she wanted me to do. When I had completed it, I would email it back with a detailed report of what I had done and, any additional information she needed.
What she didn’t realise was that I was using the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) column on the email. I was including her boss on all the correspondence so that he could see what was going on. The next time she bragged to her boss about all the work she was doing, she was told a few home truths. After that, I found my workload decreased considerably.
Helpful hint
This type of behaviour should be a last resort as it is really sneaky and, you need to have a good relationship with the person you are adding in the BCC column.
Prioritise Your Priorities
The most important reason to say 'No' is so that you can put yourself first and focus your time and energy on what matters most to you.
'Prioritise Your Priorities: How to Say 'No' to Others so you can say 'Yes' to Yourself' will teach you how to say 'No' without upsetting others.
Conclusion
The workshy offloader wants to be seen as a hard worker but they don’t want to expend any energy to develop that reputation. Instead, they will try every method possible to offload their work onto others. However, while the accountability for getting the work done is passed on, the credit for doing it rarely is. We have all seen people who climb the organisational ladder with the blood, sweat, and tears of others. It is all a game to them and the best way to beat them is to determine your own rules and play by them.