You’re overworked and now even CFOs are admitting it. The question is: What the heck can you do about it? Believe it or not, 35% of CFOs said heavy workloads were the number one concern for their financial teams, according to Accountemps.

With budgets getting tighter and company finances under closer scrutiny, the workload isn’t likely to ease up anytime soon.

If you’re managing other Accounting staff, you’re probably already grappling with this issue. Your best bet: Keep an ear to the ground so you can quickly jump on any imbalances of workload — and make sure staffers know that it’s OK to speak up if they truly feel overwhelmed. And don’t overlook the value of a “thank you” to let employees know you appreciate their efforts.

Most people don’t mind putting in extra effort as long as they know it’s for a good reason — and is recognized by higher-ups.

If the workload burden is your own, the best thing you can do is triage: Focus on urgent, high-priority tasks first, and get to the rest when you can. Rushing to get everything done in the same 40-hour week (or pushing yourself to finish a 60-hour week) will only lead to careless errors or poorer quality work.

What’s your tried-and-true coping mechanism when the workload gets to be too much? Let us know in the comments.

Tags: Managing others, staffing, Workload