How to say no politely at work

Ways to say it

• I won't be able to take this on

  NeutralB1

  Clear and final without being cold. "Won't be able to" reads as a constraint rather than a choice, which is easier to accept.

  ExampleI won't be able to take this on this sprint — I'm covering the release. Could it wait until the 25th?

• I'd rather not commit to that

  NeutralB2

  For declining a commitment rather than a task. Honest about the uncertainty instead of promising something you may miss.

  ExampleI'd rather not commit to that date until we've seen the load-test results.

• That's not something I can help with, but

  FormalB1

  Redirects instead of just closing the door. The part after "but" is what makes this land well — without it, it is a bare refusal in a longer sentence.

  ExampleThat's not something I can help with, but Priya owns the billing exports and would know.

When not to use

Do not soften a refusal you cannot actually reverse. Phrases such as "I'm not sure I can" or "probably not" invite a follow-up, and when the answer was always no you have now spent two more emails arriving at it. Reserve tentative wording for genuinely tentative answers; when the decision is made, be plainly clear and spend the politeness on the reason instead.