5 Questions Workers Are Afraid To Ask

Have you ever wanted to ask something while you’re at work but you’re afraid of what the reaction might be? This may be something as simple as a question that you may think is stupid in a meeting, or it may be something that could impact on your career.

It can always be stressful to talk to your boss about matters that are important to you, while you want to be seen as being a good worker there may be legitimate concerns that you have. You don’t have to worry though; you are not alone in being worried about talking to your boss.

A new study by CV-Library has found that just over a quarter of professionals (22.8%) have admitted that there are certain questions that they are afraid to ask their employer. For the younger millennial generation, this figure rose to almost a third (31.3%).

What Are The Top Questions Employees Want To Ask?

There are some things that are incredibly easy to query with your boss, but there are also questions that are incredibly hard to ask and may cause some fear. The below list is the top five questions that respondents listed as the hardest to ask.

• Can I have a pay rise? 63.6%
• Can I have a promotion? 34.6%
• Can I work more flexible hours? 32.7%
• Can you help me with a task? 27.6%
• Can I take some time off? 26.4%

It is understandable why asking for a pay rise is the biggest fear for over a majority of those surveyed, quickly followed by asking for a promotion. These are the two questions that will directly impact your job and there can be a strong worry that you may be seen as being too bold or may be reaching too far.

For anyone worried about asking for flexible working, you should feel safe in the knowledge that all employees have a legal right to be able to request flexible working. The limitation to this is that employees must have been working with the same employer for at least 26 weeks, though an employer is under no obligation to provide the flexible hours if they have a valid business reason.

Invest In A Comfortable Working Relationship

Asking hard questions such as the above can be incredibly nerve wracking, but there is a way to try and reduce the stress of asking questions. Having a good working relationship with your boss can make asking hard questions much easier, as you will likely be more comfortable with them and be less afraid of their response.

This is backed up by half of the respondents (49.4%) who agreed that once they are comfortable with their boss they don’t mind asking any difficult questions. By gaining a good working relationship, your boss is more likely to be understanding. This doesn’t mean you have to become their friend of course, but simply work at getting a good relationship in the workplace.

There are those who may never feel happy with their boss, particularly if they do not like them or their boss is too harsh, with 8.5% agreeing that they will never be comfortable. It is important to remember though that no matter how afraid you may be to ask these questions, they are often important to your career and your boss should not only understand this but hopefully encourage these kinds of questions.