Hot take: My client's 'urgent' project folder went from 47 unread emails to 2 in a week

I finally started charging a 15% 'panic tax' for anything labeled 'ASAP' after a month of chaos. Has anyone else found a polite way to push back on fake deadlines?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_terry4mo ago

Panic tax just makes them hide the real deadlines.

nguyen.angela4mo ago

Does the panic tax actually change their behavior long-term?

-1

patricia2624mo ago

Agree with @the_terry, it just makes them better at hiding it.

ward.kim1mo ago

That's fair, but I'd argue the panic tax does change behavior if you measure it right. A lot of kids I know (and adults too, honestly) start building in their own fake deadlines after getting burned a few times. Like my nephew now tells himself a paper is due two days before actually due just to avoid the last-minute scramble. So sure, they might hide the real deadline, but they're also learning to game the system in a way that actually gets the work done earlier. It's not perfect, but it's a step toward better habits for some people.