What do I do if I am afraid to go somewhere my company wants me to?

There are times when a company requires you to go to a place you don’t want to go. Depending on the laws of your state and  the responsibilities of your job description, you may not really have the right to refuse the assignment.

If you are uncomfortable and constantly feeling "I am afraid" about a proposed destination, give some serious thought to why you don’t want to take the assignment. Take 10 or 15 min. and write down exactly why you don’t want to take the assignment and why you don’t want to go to the designated place. This will help clarify your thoughts when you sit down to speak with your supervisor.

Then, have a discussion with your supervisor.  Treat the discussion like a serious meeting; don’t pull them aside on the fly and mention it on the side.  Clarify the assignment given. Then, explain exactly why you feel you are uncomfortable, or don’t want to go to that place. Be as clear as possible about the problem.  

You can use feeling words, such as “I feel scared  about going there alone.”  For example, if the area is a known high crime neighborhood and you are particularly vulnerable or need to go at night, declare your concerns about safety issues. Try to keep your discussion cool and calm. Don’t let your emotions interfere with the possibility of negotiating a different assignment.

If distance is the issue, have the discussion with your supervisor and learn if there are any additional options. Perhaps you can switch routes with someone else, or make a request for a route closer to home. You can also use a rational argument, if there is one. “If I need to stop at the warehouse it doesn’t make sense and is not cost-effective that I should have to drive all the way out to [the other location] before coming into work.  The company could save money by letting me change my route in this way…”

There may be times when an alternative is  simply not available. If that is the case  and you feel strongly about the issue, this job may simply not be a good match for you or your needs. In some cases you simply may not be able to resist the assignment;  the decision is made and this is your required assignment. You may not have the seniority or the needs of the company may simply require a distant destination.

If this is the case you may want to reevaluate whether or not this is the job for you. In this economy, it may not be so simple to switch to another job. You may want to reconsider protesting the assignment; in some cases it is much better simply to pick your battles.