How to tell boss I can't take on new project when I already told him I could?

[middleager]

I'm after some advice as to how to tell a new boss that I can no longer take on a project I agreed to (reluctantly) last week.

I have a new boss who is fairly demanding in terms of expectations and deadlines. Everybody is the wider team is feeling the squeeze.

There's just me in my team taking on many roles. I recently spoke to others at other organisations in the same role. They have several people in their immediate team and were shocked by how I have nobody.
I've been in this professional role for 8 years, asking for help regularly, demonstrating what comparable orgs have in terms of staffing, but being refused, even after putting business cases together.
I've worked in my field for 25 years. I've worked at many other places that all had teams for my work.

Work is pressured. I work 26 hrs weekly, but generally it's more like 32. Any 'add on' project tips up my already overloaded cart. I usually work my evenings and weekends to get it done.

My new boss asked me to take on a project that is very labour intensive and will last for 2 months. I originally pushed back and asked where my current (already unmanagable) workloads would go? He said he would give me some support and I agreed to take on the work.

Turns out the support is one day a month and they won't soley be on this project either to help, so the reality is I'll get a few hours a month, plus they are junior so couldn't do any of the more complex labour intensive work the project requires. In the meantime, my current workload has grown more due to an unexpected crisis (I have to deal with issues and crises in my role which take priority).

How do I go back to my boss to tell him that I dont think this project is deliverable? Or if it is, it means me working my spare time to do it. I don't want to do this this time as my mother is ill and I also have a busy family life. Last time I took on an 'add on' it led to me being overwhelmed.

There's just too much work and not enough of me, even without this project. My wider team all have several members in their smaller teams. We all have quite a lot of responsibility. They are on £70k and I'm on £35k pro rata if that makes any difference to what's expected? I have to sit in all the management meetings too and am treated the same in terms of expectations.

Sorry for an incoherent post, but I feel stressed already.
Every year I vow to leave as the work grows. I handed my notice in twice but they promise me support and it never comes.

Sorry, I'm on 35k full time equivalent. Colleagues on £70k full time.

Approach your boss with a written presentation of what projects you are currently delivering and how many hours per week that is taking. Be clear that you are working 25% more hours than you are contracted. Then present a capacity planner for this new project and RAG it red as 'high risk of failure' citing lack of resource and specialism. Decide which projects you want to keep and which you want other people to do. Provide a capacity planner for the staff you need and propose a promotion for your attendance at the board meetings etc.
Use all this as a starting point for an amenable and professional negotiation and see where you get to.

Tell him that you have reviewed the project and it’s not feasible to do it within the time frame without additional help.

Tell him exactly what help you need in terms of time and skill.

Whilst I agree with PP in principal, that's a lot of additional work when you are already over stretched.

A simple table with projects listed and required hours per week with RAG status beside each.

You can advise where you think priorities should be but the boss needs to decide.

Delivering all of them isn't an option. The "support" offered isn't enough. You're not prepared to work extra hours anymore as you feel taken for granted. If something doesn't change you'll be leaving and boss will have to find someone else to do all of it.

Be really clear about what work you will do from now onward and your lack of capacity for anything else.

I've been in your shoes. Things had to fail before anyone actually listened to me. So I warned everyone I'd led let it fail, and when it did I pointed out that by ignoring me and doing nothing THEY were to blame.

Normally though, when you've been taken for granted and disrespected like you have been, it's better to leave and make a fresh start somewhere new.

Wineismycarb's suggestion is great. I've taken a similar approach in similar circumstances: this is what is possible in my part time hours and this is what I won't be doing if you insidious on this project being done. You can choose, but in the full knowledge that it's a choice and that I won't be doing the other activities. Make sure it's in writing.

And your agreed to it last week under a be set of assumptions around resourcing, those aren't being fulfilled in reality, so it's completely reasonable to revisit in the light of full information.

Thank you.

I do need to evidence base my concerns, especially as he is quite a methodical character.

As you can tell from my post, I'm quite weary and emotional, so need to just focus on writing the detail down.

Could you financially afford to resign now?

If so I'd take my resignation letter in with you and be resolute that is there is now pay rise AND full time support then you will be resigning and sticking to it this time.

He sees you as a soft touch.

They clearly very much need you, start valuing your own worth.

Thanks.

I work in a field where freelancing is fairly common. I am considering this, but it's the risk that comes with being self employed.

At 48, I'm also nervous about my age when applying for other jobs.