Fit a Life Into Your Job

If working late hours has you discouraged about your job, take heart: "Many overworked people think that the only two things they can say to their bosses are 'yes' or 'I quit,'" says Robert Hochheiser, author of It's a Job, Not a Jail (Simon and Schuster, 1998). However, in many situations, supervisors don't realize that employees are feeling such strain. There are ways to remedy the problem -- without leaving your job. Here's how:

• Confront your boss directly about your workload, but don't challenge her wisdom or abilities. Instead, tell her you have the same goals she does, and want her help to figure out how to meet them within more limited hours.
• Don't assume that being a workaholic pleases your supervisor. "Your boss's way of succeeding may be by coming up with great ideas," says Hochheiser. "In that case, helping to develop those ideas would be more effective than working longer days."
• Set priorities with your supervisor so that the most timely and crucial work can be completed by the day's end.