When to Say No as a Social Worker

I don't know why but as professionals, social workers seem to have one of the hardest times saying no.  Maybe it's because we are seen as so giving, understanding, and sympathetic that both bosses and clients believe they can walk all over us.  I think not!


Many social workers, especially new to the field or new to a job agree with everything that is requested of them, which often goes against simple logic.  Social workers are expected to finish competing tasks immediately (i.e. an important meeting and a report) and work in situations which are logically unsafe.  This would include working in the late evening and completing a home visit alone in a dangerous neighbourhood with a client who is a convicted sex offender or who has been convicted of physical assault.  Sometimes having a cellphone handy just isn't enough in these situations as the worker could easily become overpowered, especially if this client has had time to "prepare" for your visit.  I have heard of several social workers who have been sexually assaulted in these types of situations, situations they NEVER should have been in in the first place.

I have had supervisors scoff at my need for safety saying they had never gotten hurt on the job but all it takes is one incident to change your life forever.  And these incidents will have a lasting affect on not only the social worker's career but also their personal life.

There is nothing wrong with standing your ground when it comes to saying no, in regards to safety or anything else.  You can always turn the tables on your supervisor/agency by saying such things as:

• I see that you want me to complete two important things at once, since I only have a limited amount of time, which task is the priority?
• You have given me several things that need to be completed in a short amount of time, I am just making you aware that I can't complete them all at once but I will finish them as soon as I can.
• I understand that I need to meet with this client, since no other worker is available to come to their home with me, I am going to schedule the visit at the office.
• I know that you want me to meet immediately with this client but I am waiting for another worker to come available so that he/she can attend with me due to safety concerns.  Do you have a problem with this?
• In the past, several coworkers have had issues with this client.  What suggestions do you have in regards to ensuring my safety when I must work with this client?
• I know that I must apprehend/intervene in this situation but I do not feel comfortable going without the police.  I understand this is an emergency situation but I need a professional there to ensure MY safety.
• You have given me a lot of tasks lately and been asking on progress reports.  I want to let you know that I am doing my best to complete them but the amount of time given to finish these tasks is just not enough for me.  What suggestions do you have to improve this situation?

A lot of time supervisors will just dump work on you and expect you to smile and somehow be a superwoman/superman and finish it in record time.  But this type of work ethic cannot last forever since it will lead to the dreaded word: BURNOUT.  You need to take care of yourself, and try and pace your day wisely since emergencies will always come up and non-emergencies will continue to get bumped down the line.  I always recommend turning it back on your supervisor to remind them that their expectations for you are not realistic as not only are you standing up for yourself, but also for your coworkers.  I can't guarantee that your supervisor won't complain about this, or wish they had hired a sheep instead of someone with their own brain but being honest is generally the right thing to do.

Also, in regards to your safety, no one should care more about it than yourself.  You ALWAYS have the right to say no if you feel like you are going into an unsafe situation with not enough precautions taken.  It's better to plan ahead and be safe then have your life changed forever by one dangerous encounter with a client.