Setting boundaries in the workplace

Setting boundaries in the workplace is essential for a healthy work life balance. It helps you get the most out of your role and to work effectively and produce your best possible work. Sometimes, people may not understand your situation and you may have to set boundaries. This can be particularly difficult for non-native English speakers who find themselves in diverse multicultural workplaces where effective communication is key. Of course, it is necessary to remain polite and professional when setting boundaries so as not to upset people or unintentionally say something rude. We want to maintain a harmonious work environment.

Here is some practical advice and simple concise language to help non-native English speakers successfully establish common workplace boundaries with ease.

Guarding your time

If you are faced with a colleague who is booking a meeting outside your working hours or is contacting you on personal communication channels here’s how you can set boundaries around your time:

“I appreciate your dedication to the project, however I need to manage my workload effectively. Can we please discuss a realistic timeframe for this task to be delivered within working hours?”

Alternatively, you might say: “my working hours are 9 to 5 and I have personal commitments which are important to me. Is it possible to schedule meetings during my working hours?”

Maintain your privacy

If someone is asking you personal questions and you do not feel comfortable answering in a professional workplace, try giving a polite response that helps maintain your privacy. You could say “I prefer to keep my personal life separate from work, but I'm happy to discuss work topics” or alternatively, “Thank you for showing an interest but I'd rather not share my personal details. Let's focus on our professional duties and collaboration.”

Excessive workload

At times you may find that you are faced with an excessive workload that puts you under a lot of pressure and does not allow you to produce your best work. Here's how you can set your limits professionally.

When speaking to a manager, you might say: “I'm currently working on several projects, to ensure quality can we discuss the priorities of these and possible delegation of tasks to other members of the team?”

Alternatively, you might say: “I'm reaching my maximum capacity for work and I really want to deliver quality results. Can we explore options to manage my workload more effectively.”

Effective communication

Communication goes far beyond language. If you have a clear sense of how you prefer to communicate in the workplace here’s how you to outline this to colleagues.

“I find it more efficient to communicate through email and then follow detailed written discussions. Please, could you email me a summary this project rather than discussing it on a call?”

Alternatively, you might say: “I really appreciate your enthusiasm for the project and your energy when meeting face to face. However, I'd much prefer written instructions to ensure I don't miss any details. Please can you message or send an email when assigning tasks?”

Facing feedback

In our day-to-day professional lives, we often face feedback. Feedback is beneficial and helps us grow and develop as professionals. Providing constructive feedback is crucial for polite and professional communication.

If you feel uncomfortable receiving feedback in an open setting, you might want to say: “I value your feedback, but could we please discuss it in a one-to-one setting? I would find that more effective.”

And lastly, if you feel you are receiving feedback that is very negative you might say: “I appreciate your feedback. Can we please focus on areas of improvement.”

Setting boundaries politely and professionally is essential for non-native English speakers in the workplace. Your colleagues will respect you more for being clear about your limits. By using the simple and concise examples provided you can effectively establish positive boundaries at work.