Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • April 4, 2019
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

Why We Don't Ask for More Time on Deadlines (But Probably Should)

By: Jaewon Yoon, A.V. Whillans and Grant Donnelly
  • Format:Electronic
ShareBar

Abstract

Deadlines are one of the biggest sources of stress in the workplace. Yet, many are flexible: Your manager might ask you to submit a proposal for a long-term project by Friday, but not plan to look at it until Tuesday. Could asking for more time (when we need it) be a simple way to avoid feeling panicked and overwhelmed? While it’s common to believe that pushing back a deadline might reflect poorly on us and be seen as unprofessional, we know relatively little from research about the actual consequences of asking for more time. To better understand this, we conducted 10 experiments and a survey with nearly 10,000 employees and managers in the United States. We found that, across occupations, asking for more time to work on an assignment was, on average, perceived positively by managers—and it reduced employees’ stress levels and improved their performance. In one survey—of 191 employees—we found that 95% of those who asked their manager for a deadline extension received one.

Keywords

Time; Stress; Employees; Time Management; Perception; Performance; Happiness

Citation

Yoon, Jaewon, A.V. Whillans, and Grant Donnelly. "Why We Don't Ask for More Time on Deadlines (But Probably Should)." Harvard Business Review (website) (April 4, 2019).
  • Read Now

About The Author

Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • December 2022
    • Current Directions in Psychological Science

    The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples

    By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Ashley V. Whillans
    • 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Perceived Job Difficulty Influences Unionization Support for Workers in Low-Wage Jobs

    By: Elizabeth R. Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
    • 2022
    • Faculty Research

    The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Satisfaction of Workers in Low-Wage Jobs

    By: Elizabeth R Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
More from the Authors
  • The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Ashley V. Whillans
  • Perceived Job Difficulty Influences Unionization Support for Workers in Low-Wage Jobs By: Elizabeth R. Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Satisfaction of Workers in Low-Wage Jobs By: Elizabeth R Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College