Sample Letter “Asking For More Work” From Your Boss

So you always complete your workload way before the deadline. There’s nothing else to do to fill your time. Maybe you’re bored of the tasks handed to you day in and day out. You’re wondering if you should ask your boss for more work. 

If this is your situation, then I’m here to tell you everything you need to know. I’ll show you why you might want more work and when it’s a good time to ask for it. I’ll also give you a sample letter asking for more work from your boss. So let’s dive right in!

Read More: Sample Email To Your Boss About Workload Without Sounding Whiny.

Why Ask Your Boss For New Tasks?

Before anything else, it’s important to ask yourself this question. Why do you want more work? Are you bored of your current work? Do you want more challenging work? Do you want to work on more projects for career advancement? 

Here are some of the common reasons why you might want to ask for more work:

• Professional growth. If you want to grow professionally, you’ll always be looking for additional work to expand your skill set and knowledge. You’re not satisfied with where you are and want to proactively advance your professional development. 
• Demonstrating value. If you want to prove to your employer that you’re productive, capable, and committed, you show them that you’re willing to take on extra work. The best way to do that is to take on more work. 
• Avoiding boredom. If you’re someone who thrives on a busy work environment, you’ll be extremely bored if there is not enough work to do. If you ask for additional responsibilities, you can keep the workday engaging. You’ll feel satisfied with your work. 
• Contributing to team success. If you’re a team player, the success of the whole team is your goal. You ask to take on additional responsibilities so that you can contribute more. 
• Skill utilization. If you have skills that are not being used in your current role, you might want to ask for work that matches your skill set. This way, you can utilize what you know and be better at your job. 
• Building a diverse portfolio. Maybe you want new work to expand your portfolio. You want to add new skills that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to gain in your current role. If you’re planning on taking on a leadership role in the future, this is a great step to getting there. 

When Should You Ask For More Work?

Ok, so you figured out the “WHY”. The next question is “WHEN”. Alex A from workplacequestions.com puts it this way:

“One lesson I’ve learned over the years, as a once upon a time staff worker, and later on as an HR head: Is that you don’t wait for your boss to give you more challenging work; you should go right out and ask for it.”

However, there is a right time to ask, and this is when…

You mastered your work

You’re ready to take on additional work only when you mastered your current one. You can’t expect your boss to give you new projects if you’re slacking. You need to have a track record of doing an excellent job. 

Whoever said “Being extremely good at what you do is far better than being just good at doing more things” was right. So before you ask for new responsibilities, make sure that you’re already a pro with your role. 

It will help you improve

What’s the point of going through the effort of taking on more responsibilities if it doesn’t improve YOU? More work doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll gain skills and competencies. You might just feel burdened with a full work schedule. 

Instead, you need to evaluate yourself. What improvements do you want to make? You should also look into the work you’ll be asking for. How will it help you improve in the long run? If you’re certain that more work will boost your career or personal growth, then it will be a good time to send a letter to your boss asking for more work. 

It is helpful to your boss

When you ask for more work, it’s not all about you. No, you need to think about your boss as well. Will it be helpful to your boss to have an extra hand in that department, project, or task? If you can answer ‘yes’, then go ahead and send that letter or email. 

Your primary job doesn’t suffer

More work means longer work hours. If you find yourself loaded with a variety of tasks, you might start to rush. And when you rush, you can easily make mistakes. You don’t want that. This is why you need to be extra sure you can handle both your primary job and the extra work. 

You genuinely want to help

Asking for more work to prove your worth is a big NO. Boasting how good you are or how indispensable you are to the company might be met with negativity from your boss or coworkers. What’s more, it’s not a good enough motivation during the busy and tiring days. 

Only ask for new tasks if you genuinely want to help out. Or, if you want to improve your skills and experience, as well as learn new skills and gain new experiences. It should never spring out from a place of boasting or trying to be important. 

Sample Email Asking for More Work

If you’re convinced that more work is the right move for you, here is a sample letter asking for more work that you can use:

• Can I pick up any more tasks?
• Is there any more work available for me?
• Could I ask for some more work?
• I would appreciate the chance to work on more projects.
• Have you got anything new for me to work on?
• I would like to try some new tasks.
• Is it okay if I take on some new challenges?
• Can I ask for a few new tasks?
• Is there anything else you’d like me to do?
• Would you like me to do any more work for you?

1. Can I pick up any more tasks?

This is the first how to ask your boss for more work sample you can use. It’s simple and polite. Here is a sample email you can send:

2. Is there any more work available for me?

If you want to sound like you’ve already mastered your current position, this is a great subject line to use. Here is a sample:

3. Could I ask for some more work?

You can’t go wrong with this simple and clear question. Here is one way you can draft your How to ask a manager for more work email:

4. I would appreciate the chance to work on more projects

Get this: not everything needs to be a question when you want to take on new work. Instead, you can give a statement, like this:

5. Have you got anything new for me to work on?

If you use this question, maybe your boss will appreciate your enthusiasm. It shows that you’re always on the lookout to help the company grow. You can use this as a sample email:

6. I would like to try some new tasks

If you feel like you’re at a standstill in your work, this is the perfect statement to use when you need to write a letter to your supervisor or manager. 

7. Is it okay if I take on some new challenges?

What if you work as an intern and you want new challenges? Well, you can use this sample on how to ask for more work without sounding expendable:

8. Can I ask for a few new tasks?

If you’ve run out of things to do, simply asking for a few new tasks will do the job. Here is a sample letter you can follow:

9. Is there anything else you’d like me to do?

It’s best to use this question if your boss gave you a task and you’ve already completed it but they don’t realize that. It will tell them that you already completed the task and want new ones. Here is a sample letter you can follow:

10. Would you like me to do any more work for you?

If you want to sound a bit more professional when looking to increase your workload, you can use this template:

Final Words

Are you looking for ways to ask for an opportunity to work more? If so, you can use the sample letter “asking for more work” that I’ve given you here. 

But before you do that, try to understand if the timing is right to talk to your manager about adding to your workload. Keep in mind that you need to have the right motives when you’re interested in adding extra projects to your name. This will make everything worthwhile.