Do you have a hard time admitting you need help at work?
It’s vital to be honest with colleagues when you could use assistance.
Listen in today to learn English phrases and vocabulary that show honesty and authenticity in the business setting.
Impatiently waiting
Lindsay asks Michelle if she has ever been at a busy restaurant and had to wait a long time.
Michelle answers that this happens to everybody.
Some places get behind and things may take a while to get served.
She says that in this situation she would ask what is the cause of delay.
Sometimes the manager may come out and say something like, “Sorry, we are short-staffed right now.”
Lindsay shares that it can be difficult for her, especially when she’s hungry.
She was at a pizza place with friends and the restaurant was short-staffed.
While they were waiting for the meal, her friend began to get really irritated.
Lindsay was hoping the food came soon since her friend had become ‘hangry.’
Authenticity in the workplace
Today Lindsay and Michelle share how to express that extra help is needed at work.
This can happen if there are not enough people doing a task.
The Business English Podcast is a great place to learn vocabulary and tips to better communicate in the workplace.
You can check out episode BE 287: Is This Michelle? Telephone Responses for Business English.
This will help you learn how to better express yourself at work.
Staffing issues
Michelle asks Lindsay what she thinks about businesses becoming short-staffed.
Lindsay shares that especially during the pandemic, a lot of people retired or decided to switch industries.
There has been a major shift to freelancing and online work.
Companies in certain industries, like hospitality, may be having difficulty finding employees.
Here are some signs that a place is short-staffed:
- Everyone spread too thin
- People getting stressed out
- Can’t complete tasks
- Customer complaints
- Cancellation of services
This can happen in your workplace, which could cause you to become overwhelmed.
If this happens, you need to voice that you need help.
Here are some terms and vocabulary you may hear that can share whether you are having issues with support at work.
These are also useful if you notice an establishment being short-staffed.
#1: Short-staffed
This usually describes a short-term issue.
The company may have enough employees but some of them weren’t able to cover a shift.
Example:
I’m so sorry- we are running a little behind today. One of our designers called out sick, so we are pretty short-staffed today.
#2: Not operating at full capacity
This is similar to being short-staffed.
This means that as a team you’re spread too thin, and there are not enough people to do the work in a timely manner.
Example:
I think we really need a new hire. We aren’t operating at full capacity, and it’s starting to show.
#3: Understaffed
This is similar to short-staffed.
However, it’s a more nuanced meaning.
It indicates there are not enough people to get the job done.
Example:
We are understaffed and it’s really hard to complete all of our goals. Should we consider a new hire?
#4: Shorthanded
This has a more physical meaning to it.
This is commonly used in the service industry where staff are running around and trying to attend to all customers.
However, they don’t have enough people to cover everything that needs done.
Example:
I felt terrible calling out because I knew then the team would be completely shorthanded.
What to do when understaffed
It can be difficult when you’re facing a complaining customer.
There are ways to put out fires when you know you’re shorthanded at work.
Here is a clear and simple structure you can follow:
- Apologize
- Be honest and explain the issue
- Say when things will get better or what you will do to make things better
Roleplays
Lindsay and Michelle share two roleplays using the tips and the vocabulary shared in today’s episode.
This will help you better understand how to use these phrases in a similar situation.
Roleplay #1:
In this scenario, Lindsay is a waitress and Michelle is the customer.
Michelle: Where is my food? It’s been 40 minutes.
Lindsay: I am so sorry; I know this is frustrating. To be honest, we are completely short-staffed tonight because our head waitress had a family emergency. We are working to get someone else in. Can I get you a dessert on the house later?
- on the house: free
Roleplay #2:
In this scenario, Michelle is the team leader at an office and Lindsay is her client.
Michelle: Hi Lindsay! So, I have to apologize to you. I know we haven’t been doing our best or fastest work.
Lindsay: Oh wow, thanks Michelle. What’s going on? It’s getting a little concerning.
Michelle: To tell the truth, we are understaffed because we have three people out on maternity leave. It’s been stressful around here!
Lindsay: Oh wow! Yeah that makes sense.
Michelle: But we will make it up to you- we are working with some temps and are getting it all together. I’m sorry again and thanks for your patience.
Lindsay: No problem- thanks for letting me know!
Michelle: Thank you!
Takeaway
It’s very important to be honest and open about these types of situations.
Try out these tips when you are in a situation where you have to explain you are not operating at full capacity.
Talk to your boss or superior if necessary to find a solution.
Have you ever experienced this at work?
We’d love to hear from you in the comments below and learn how you addressed the situation.
