Raising a concern

If anything written in these principles doesn’t feel like it’s matching your reality, you should raise this with someone as early as possible. This might be a client or colleague’s expectations feeling unrealistic, the pace you’re working at feeling unsustainable, or simply that you are feeling overwhelmed.

• Start with your line manager or delivery lead. Most of the time, a quick, direct conversation is enough to reset expectations or rebalance the work. 
• If that doesn’t resolve it, or they’re the ones setting the expectation, then speak to your Head of Practice or Department, a Director, or the People team. 

Whether you’re working with an external client or a colleague internally, the same principle applies. It’s a shared responsibility to flag when what’s being asked doesn’t match how we’ve agreed to work. Where the tension is specifically about a client’s needs, that’s for dxw to manage, not something for any individual to carry alone.

Raising a concern isn’t a complaint, and it won’t be treated as one.These principles exist to normalise these types of conversations and seek support to reestablish that balance.

We should take the same approach for our colleagues too. If you can see someone else taking on more than they should, saying something is part of looking out for each other.

Last updated: 5 November 2026