Maintaining Boundaries at Work: What to Do When You Face Pushback

Workplace Boundaries Series: Protecting Your Well-Being and Success

In today’s fast-paced professional world, setting and maintaining boundaries is essential for long-term success, productivity, and mental well-being. This three-part series explores how to distinguish between personal limits and workplace rules, establish healthy boundaries, and handle pushbacks.

• Part 1: Boundaries vs. Rules: Understanding the Difference in Professional Settings – Clarify the key distinctions between boundaries and rules to ensure your limits are respected without unnecessary conflict.

• Part 2: How to Set Healthy Boundaries in a Fast-Paced Professional World – Learn practical strategies for defining and communicating workplace boundaries to protect your time and energy.

• Part 3: Maintaining Boundaries and What to Do When You Face Pushback – Discover how to reinforce your boundaries when they’re challenged and navigate workplace resistance effectively.

By the end of this series, you’ll have the tools to confidently uphold boundaries, foster sustainable career growth, and maintain a healthier work-life balance. Without further ado, let's dive in to Part 3!

In Part 2, we discussed the importance of setting healthy boundaries in a demanding workplaces. But setting boundaries is just the first step. The real challenge? Maintaining them—especially when others push back.

In many workplaces, colleagues, managers, and even clients may test or challenge your boundaries, sometimes without even realizing it. Whether it’s a boss expecting after-hours availability, a team member disregarding your time limits, or an organization with an “always-on” culture, learning to hold your boundaries firmly—without guilt or fear—is essential for long-term professional well-being.

Here’s how to maintain your boundaries and effectively navigate resistance when it arises.

Why Do People Push Back on Boundaries?

Before addressing pushback, it’s helpful to understand why it happens. Here are some common reasons:

1. Cultural Norms & Workplace Expectations

Some industries and workplaces have unspoken rules that encourage overwork or constant availability. If your company glorifies “hustle culture,” colleagues might view boundary-setting as resistance to teamwork or ambition.

2. Unconscious Habits

Many people aren’t intentionally disrespectful—they may simply be used to certain patterns. If you’ve always been the person who stays late, answers emails at all hours, or says yes to extra tasks, people will expect you to continue doing so. [Those expectations can and will change with firm boundaries and time].

3. Power Dynamics

Managers and senior leaders might test boundaries because they have different priorities—like business goals, tight deadlines, or client demands. Sometimes, their pushback isn’t personal but a reflection of broader pressures.

4. Personal Discomfort

People who don’t set good boundaries for themselves may feel frustrated or guilty when they see others doing so. This can lead to subtle (or direct) attempts to pull you back into overwork.

*A word of caution, this is not inherently malicious behavior - it's possible it's unconscious habits. Most of us prefer or even expect that those around us act like us and have similar experiences and preferences. This is partly because it is easier to co-regulate our emotions than it is to self-regulate. It is partly because our brain rewards us for things which are familiar. So, when someone is not having a similar experience or tries to make changes, people may attempt to keep thing feeling familiar, whether they realize it or not. It's a manifestation of "the devil you know", & likely something you've done yourself to someone else. Again, whether or not you realized it.

How to Maintain Boundaries When Challenged

1. Be Consistent

Boundaries are only as strong as your ability to enforce them regularly. If you make exceptions often, people will assume your boundaries are flexible.

• If you decline late-night emails one week but answer them the next, colleagues won’t take your boundary seriously.

• If you say no to extra projects but later agree after pressure, people will continue pushing.

🔹 Tip: Practice polite repetition:

• “I’m not available for emails after 6 PM. Let’s touch base in the morning.”

• “I’m unable to take on extra work right now, but I can support you in other ways.”

The more consistent you are, the more people will respect your limits.

2. Use Assertive Yet Respectful Communication

Many professionals worry that setting boundaries makes them appear uncooperative or difficult. The key is to be assertive while remaining professional and kind. How to respond to common pushback:

📌 If a colleague ignores your boundaries:

• “I understand this is urgent, but I’m unable to handle this outside of work hours. Let’s schedule time tomorrow.”

• “I need to stick to my agreed hours to maintain my workload. I appreciate your understanding.”

📌 If a manager pushes back:

• “I’m happy to contribute, but I want to ensure I do my best work. Taking on extra tasks right now would stretch my capacity too thin.”

• “I’m committed to delivering high-quality work, and I’ve found that protecting my focus during work hours helps me be more effective.”

📌 If a client demands extra availability:

• “I value our collaboration and want to ensure I provide my best work. To do so, I adhere to set working hours and prioritize focused time.”

• “I’d love to support this request, and I can accommodate it within my scheduled availability. Let’s find a time that works for both of us.”

🔹 Tip: Keep responses short and direct. Over-explaining can invite negotiation, weakening your position.

3. Anticipate and Address Workplace Norms

In some workplaces, setting boundaries feels like swimming against the current. If boundary-pushing is baked into the culture, consider these strategies:

📌 Find Allies

• If others also struggle with overwork or boundary violations, discuss ways to collectively encourage change.

• A group advocating for healthy boundaries can make change more acceptable than an individual pushing back alone.

📌 Use Data to Support Your Case

• If you’re resisting excessive meetings, track time spent in them and present the impact on productivity.

• If workload is excessive, outline the effect on efficiency and work quality.

📌 Work Toward Organizational Change

• Advocate for company-wide no-email-after-hours policies or protected focus time.

• If leadership models healthy boundaries, employees will feel more empowered to follow suit.

  
  

4. Manage Your Own Guilt and Internal Resistance

Sometimes, the hardest part of boundary-setting isn’t external pushback—it’s the internal guilt and fear of disappointing others.

🔹 Reframe Your Thinking:

• Boundary-setting isn’t selfish—it’s necessary for sustainable success.

• Saying no doesn’t mean you’re unhelpful—it means you’re prioritizing where you add the most value.

• Healthy boundaries prevent burnout—which ultimately allows you to perform better over time.

🔹 Practice Self-Affirmation:

• “I deserve to have a balanced professional life.”

• “Protecting my boundaries allows me to do my best work and maintain my well-being.”

The more you reinforce why you’re setting boundaries, the easier it becomes to uphold them.

5. Life Hack: Hot Wire Your Own Brain

What is hot wiring? In cars, it is the process of using a couple cut wires to bypass the ignition system and start the car without a key. In our brains, it is the process of training the brain to 'bypass' or disrupt existing neural pathways in favor of making a newer, hopefully faster and more useful, neural pathway which will give rise to the desired outcome: behavioural change.

Our brains are pattern-seeking machines - they thrive on repetition. We have ample empirical and anecdotal evidence in support of this notion!: Use it to your advantage. Practice. Use mantras. Connect behaviour to reasons or values [the why]. In doing so, you can hot wire your brain into a new pattern.

This is how you hotwire for boundary maintenance, once the initial placement of the boundary is set:

The more you repeat something [the boundary] -> the more your brain will seek out that thing [boundary] and it's outcomes [benefits of maintenance; deficits of erosion] -> the faster and more robust those neural connections will become [thanks to neurons and myelin sheathing] -> the easier it becomes to access that neural pathway and associated values and behaviours [as the neural pathway become optimized] -> the easier it will be to maintain boundaries with a kind but firm approach backed by genuine confidence -> the more others will reduce pushback and increase respect of your stated boundaries. Why?: Because they've learned pushing back is ineffective and a waste of their time and efforts. This works for both yourself in learning to maintain boundaries and is the reason why consistent maintenance is a highly effective people management tool.

What If Someone Continues to Violate Your Boundaries?

Despite your best efforts, some individuals may persist in testing or ignoring your limits. In these cases:

🔹 Have a Direct Conversation

• Address repeat violations firmly yet diplomatically.

• Example: “I’ve mentioned before that I don’t work weekends, yet I keep receiving weekend emails. I need to be clear that I won’t be responding outside of work hours.”

🔹 Escalate When Necessary

• If a supervisor repeatedly ignores agreed-upon boundaries, it may be time for a formal discussion or HR intervention.

• Documentation helps—keep a record of repeated boundary violations.

🔹 Consider Workplace Fit

• If a company’s culture fundamentally disregards work-life balance, you may need to evaluate whether the environment is aligned with your values.

• Long-term success comes from working in a place that respects professional well-being.

Final Thoughts: Boundaries Are an Ongoing Practice

Maintaining work boundaries isn’t a one-time action—it’s a continuous practice. You may need to adjust, reinforce, or reiterate them over time.

✅ Stay consistent—don’t let one instance of pushback weaken your stance.

✅ Be assertive but respectful—direct communication fosters long-term respect. Clarity is kindness - which people respect and even appreciate.

✅ Manage internal guilt—remember that boundaries protect both your career and your well-being. You only have one you - take care of you like you would a loved one.

Take Action: What’s one boundary you’ve struggled to maintain? This week, commit to reinforcing it—whether it’s saying no, leaving work on time, or communicating availability.

Need support navigating workplace boundaries? Let’s connect. I help professionals create sustainable, boundary-respecting careers. Reach out today to start protecting your time, energy, and professional success with professional support as you build a fulfilling and balanced career!