#200 Discussing a Heavy Workload｜French Business Phrases

As you continue your professional responsibilities, there may be times when your workload increases beyond what was initially expected, making your tasks more demanding.

In such situations, it is important not to handle everything alone. Instead, you should share your situation with your supervisor or colleagues and seek advice.

In this section, I will explain useful French expressions for discussing your workload, following the flow of a practical conversation example.

Dialogue

A

Est-ce que je pourrais vous parler un moment de ma charge de travail ?
（May I speak with you for a moment about my workload?）

B

Bien sûr, je vous écoute.
（Of course. I am listening.）

A

Ces derniers temps, j’ai plusieurs dossiers urgents à gérer en même temps, et cela devient difficile à gérer.
（Recently, I have had several urgent files to manage at the same time, and it is becoming difficult to handle them.）

B

Je comprends. Est-ce qu’il y a un projet en particulier qui pose problème ?
（I understand. Is there a particular project that is causing difficulty?）

A

Oui, le rapport mensuel et la préparation de la présentation prennent plus de temps que prévu.
（Yes, the monthly report and the preparation of the presentation are taking more time than expected.）

B

D’accord. Nous pouvons peut-être redistribuer certaines tâches.
（I see. We may be able to redistribute some of the tasks.）

A

Merci beaucoup. Cela me rassure.
（Thank you very much. That reassures me.）

1. Initiating the Conversation About Your Workload

When you wish to discuss your workload, I recommend beginning by checking whether the other person has time to speak.

Here, “je pourrais” is the conditional form of “pouvoir”(to be able to). By using the conditional, you soften the request and leave room for the other person to respond freely.

The structure “pouvoir + infinitive” expresses ability or permission.
In this sentence, vous comes from the construction “parler à quelqu’un” (to speak to someone).

The pronoun is placed directly before the infinitive.

The phrase “un moment” means “for a moment.” I recommend using it when initiating a discussion, as it lowers the psychological barrier and reassures the listener that the conversation will not necessarily be long.

2. Explaining the Current Situation Clearly

When you consult someone about your workload, it is essential to explain clearly what is causing difficulty.

The expression “Ces derniers temps” means “recently” or “in recent times.”

By placing it at the beginning of the sentence, you frame the situation as an ongoing trend rather than a sudden complaint.

In business contexts, “j’ai + noun” often means “I am responsible for” or “I am handling,” rather than simply “I have.”

Notice that instead of using emotional expressions such as “fatigué” (tired) or “débordé” (overwhelmed), the sentence presents objective facts. I recommend this approach in professional settings, as it makes the discussion more constructive.

The structure “nom + à + infinitive” describes something that needs to be done:

This structure expresses necessity in a concise and professional manner.

3. Identifying the Most Demanding Tasks

After explaining the general situation, it is helpful to specify which tasks are particularly time-consuming.

The verb “prendre” (to take) is commonly used with time expressions to mean “to require time.”

The structure “plus de + noun” means “more of something.”

The comparative structure is:

In this case, “que prévu” literally means “than planned.”

The full form would be “plus de temps que ce que nous avions prévu” (more time than we had planned), but in professional communication, the shorter version is more natural and efficient.

Summary