The quantity of tasks:
- Do I know what my manager expects of me?
- Do I have enough time to perform my tasks?
- What does my day look like – do I have enough time for my tasks?
- Do I feel that I have to work harder than my colleagues?
- Do I have to perform many different tasks at once?
The content of tasks:
- Is there a balance between my tasks, my responsibilities and my skills and abilities?
- Do I have opportunities to learn new skills and develop my skills, so that I can manage my tasks?
- Can I influence my work so that I can live up to the demands imposed on me?
- Do I have stress-related symptoms, for example difficulty sleeping, stomach-ache?
- Is my job boring, am I uncommitted, do I need to be challenged more professionally?
- Do I often have to deal with emotionally difficult situations, for example angry customers, and how does this affect me?
Here is what you can do
- Prepare yourself for your appraisal interview. The interview is your opportunity to once a year focus on your job and your development. It’s a good idea to set aside time for preparation. However, it’s important with an ongoing dialogue with your manager to adjust your job demands.
- Practice saying no. There may be periods of heavy workload and pressure. If these periods become too frequent and stretch over longer periods, you should talk to your manager about how to change this.
- Be conscious of your own resources. Your manager lays down the framework for your work. However, if you’re conscious about your professional skills, you can better describe the demands and challenges that your manager can impose on you.
- Help and support each other. Queues, many customers and a heavy task load are normal for work in retail. In some periods, there’s extra pressure, and in such periods it’s important to help each other. Perhaps a colleague who has had to deal with a difficult customer also needs help.