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Business English Idioms and Expressions for Hard Work, Overtime, and Working Late
- Erin West
- Apr 23
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Working long hours is a normal part of modern office life, but many professionals struggle to talk about pressure, overtime, and work–life balance in natural business English. In this short lesson, you’ll learn a real expression we often use when extra work creates a personal cost. You’ll also get a quick practice challenge to help you build confidence with everyday business English phrases you can use at work.
Today’s Challenge:
Marco has been staying late at the office almost every night this month. His team is trying to finish a major report before the deadline, and the workload keeps growing.
At first, Marco didn’t mind the extra hours — he wanted everything to be perfect. But over the weekend, he realized he barely had time with his family, and the guilt has been building day by day.
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On Monday morning, his manager asks casually how he’s doing. Marco hesitates for a moment, then decides to be honest about the pressure he’s feeling. He takes a breath and says:
Working on weekends helps me finish everything, but it comes at a _____. I have less time with my family.
A) cost
B) value
C) loss
D) chance
Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.
Let’s check the answer and explore some useful examples.
COST
noun
the money, time, or energy you give or lose to get something
The cost of living in big cities keeps going up.
We need to think about both the cost and the benefits before making a decision.
I spent too much on repairs — the cost was more than the car is worth.
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COME AT A COST
idiom
when something good causes you to lose something else — like time, health, energy, or relationships
She got the promotion, but it came at a cost: constant stress and long hours.
Success often comes at a cost — you may lose sleep, free time, or peace of mind.
His perfect grades came at a cost. He had no time for friends or fun.
Yes, we met the deadline, but it came at a cost to team morale.
VALUE
noun
the importance or benefit of something
I see a lot of value in working with experienced people.
This book has great value for new managers.
She always brings value to team discussions.
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LOSS
noun
when you no longer have something you had before (could be a loss of time, money, energy, or something emotional)
Working every weekend felt like a loss of my personal time.
The company reported a big loss this quarter.
There’s a real loss of balance when you work too much.
CHANCE
noun
an opportunity to do something, or the possibility that something will happen in the future
I didn’t get a chance to relax over the weekend.
This job gives me a real chance to grow.
There’s a good chance I’ll have to work late again.
That's right! The correct answer is A) cost.
Learn More Business English Idioms and Expressions for Overtime, Stress, and Work–Life Balance
Now that you’ve checked the answer, let’s look at more business English idioms and expressions that people use when talking about stress, long hours, and heavy workloads. These are common in real workplaces, and they will help you understand colleagues better and express how you feel during busy periods. Take a moment to read through them — many of these phrases appear in emails, meetings, and everyday office conversations.
WORK LONG HOURS
phrase
to work for many hours a day
We’ve been working long hours this week to finish the report.
She works long hours every tax season.
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PUT IN OVERTIME
phrase
to work extra hours after your normal schedule
We may need to put in overtime today to meet the deadline.
He’s been putting in a lot of overtime this month.
BE UNDER THE GUN
idiom
to be under strong pressure to finish something quickly
I’m really under the gun right now — the client wants the update by noon.
The whole team was under the gun before the product launch.
BEAT THE CLOCK
idiom
to finish something before a deadline
We had to work late to beat the clock on that proposal.
They beat the clock and sent everything out five minutes early.
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TAKE ITS/A TOLL (ON YOU)
idiom
to have a slow, negative effect on your health or energy
The late nights are starting to take a toll on me.
Constant travel really took its toll on him last year.
MAKE A SACRIFICE
phrase
to give something up because you must focus on work or another duty
She made a sacrifice by skipping her weekend plans to help with the project.
We all make sacrifices during busy season.
SET CLEAR PRIORITIES
phrase
to decide which tasks are the most important and should be done first
When things get busy, you need to set clear priorities.
Our manager helped us set clear priorities for the week.
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WORN DOWN BY WORK
idiom
to feel very tired because work has been difficult for a long time
He looked worn down by work after another 12-hour day.
Everyone felt worn down after the long quarter.
FACE, REDUCE, AVOID BURNOUT RISK
phrase
the chance of becoming extremely tired or losing motivation because of too much work
The team is facing burnout risk after months of long hours.
We’re trying to reduce burnout risk by rotating tasks.
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BE SWAMPED (WITH WORK)
idiom
to have so much work that it feels impossible to finish
I’m completely swamped with work today — can we talk tomorrow?
She was swamped with work after two coworkers went on leave.
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BE SNOWED UNDER
idiom
to be overloaded with work and tasks
I’d love to help, but I’m snowed under this week.
The support team got snowed under after the new update launched.
RUN YOURSELF RAGGED
idiom
to exhaust yourself by working too hard or doing too many things
Don’t run yourself ragged trying to fix everything alone.
He ran himself ragged during year-end closing.
Practice Quiz: Business English Idioms and Expressions for Stress and Heavy Workload
Now let’s see how many expressions you remember. In this quick practice quiz, you’ll answer questions based on real work situations and choose the option that sounds most natural. After you check your answers, you’ll also be able to listen to the correct sentences.
ANSWER KEY - QUIZ
1. The finance team worked late every night this week to _____ before the Friday deadline.
A) face burnout risk
B) run themselves ragged
C) beat the clock
2. After three months of long hours, the constant pressure started to _____ on the whole department.
A) take its toll
B) beat the clock
C) put in overtime
3. With two colleagues on vacation, Mia was completely _____ and had no time to respond to her emails.
A) put in overtime
B) under the gun
C) swamped with work
4. Don’t _____ trying to handle the entire project by yourself. Ask someone to share the workload.
A) take its toll
B) run yourself ragged
C) wear down
5. At the end of the year, most teams have to _____ to finish reports and meet final deadlines.
A) take a toll
B) put in overtime
C) snow under
6. Taking on every request might look good, but it usually _____ . At some point, something else in your life gets squeezed.
A) comes at a cost
B) sets clear priorities
C) works long hours
7. After two major releases in one month, the engineers felt completely _____. Everyone needed a long weekend.
A) run themselves ragged
B) taken its toll
C) worn down
Great work today. You learned a useful idiom for talking about long hours and then explored several other expressions that native speakers use when work gets busy or stressful. Try listening to the sentences again and repeat them out loud — it’s a simple way to build confidence with natural business English. And the next time you feel overloaded at work, you’ll have the right phrases to describe it clearly and naturally.
Ready for more practice? Click the image below to try another Business English Quiz!
Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.
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