PanamaTimes

Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024

The hidden overwork that creeps into so many jobs

The hidden overwork that creeps into so many jobs

Many employees are completing under-the-radar tasks after hours to get ahead. This kind of overwork has become normalised – and while not all bad, there’s an insidious dark side.

Beth, a Toronto-based international marketing manager, is travelling for pleasure in Europe – but she still doesn’t feel disconnected from work. That’s because even when she’s not explicitly working, she’s still putting in hours off the clock, doing things like checking in on her team via WhatsApp and listening to “a ton” of work-related podcasts.

“I’m about to get on a train and go to my Italian office to say hi, on my holiday,” she says. “Do I have a problem?”

Although workdays have been getting longer for millions of knowledge workers – and in many cases, more hours have become standard – plenty of work still happens outside the normal workday, no matter its length. Think of those not-quite-work tasks that seep into personal time: reading job-related articles that pop up on your social media feeds at the weekend, or listening to industry podcasts on a run.

Workers have been doing these off-shift tasks for a long time. But since the pandemic overhauled the way people work, the lines between professional and personal have become increasingly fuzzy, making it even easier for these behaviours to occur. These hidden, even quiet, overwork moments may not strictly feel like work, but they still are. And as this extra effort is morphing into a tacit expectation, it’s becoming harder for workers to shake off – subsequently, making it almost impossible to ever turn off.

Some workers find themselves listening to podcasts or reading books that are relevant on to their jobs – on their own time


Working overtime


Hidden overwork is different to working long hours in the office or on the clock at home – instead, it’s the time an employee puts into tasks on top of their brief. There are plenty of reasons people take on this extra work: to be up to speed in meetings; appear ‘across issues’ when asked about industry developments; or seem sharp in an environment in which a worker is still trying to establish themselves.

There are myriad ways a person’s day job can slip into their non-working hours: think a worker chatting to someone from their industry at their child’s birthday party, and suddenly slipping into networking mode. Or perhaps an employee hears their boss mention a book in a meeting, so they download and listen to it on evening walks for a week, stopping occasionally to jot down some notes.

Anyone can be susceptible to hidden overwork – from IT workers, a large percentage of whom spend their free time upskilling, to women who often rely on overpreparation to fight imposter syndrome at work.

For many employees, it’s easy to fall into these hidden overwork patterns. For one, some of these tasks have simply become baked into office-job culture. As going above and beyond has increasingly become a tacit employer expectation for workers who want to advance, under-the-radar tasks like this seamlessly slip into some workers’ job descriptions – whether employees realise it or not.

“There does seem to be a gap between what employees versus employers feel is the bare minimum required at work,” says Alexia Cambon, director of research at workplace-consultancy Gartner’s HR practice. While some employees may see their official job requirements as the maximum they should be doing, many employers view that as the bare minimum, she says, so they’ll only see workers as high performers if they make additional contributions.

So, although a large portion of these tasks are invisible to bosses, many employees feel compelled to perform them anyway, since they can potentially help the worker perform better and stand out. Allison Weinhaas, associate professor in the communications department at Rider University, US, says marginalised workers may especially jump to do this work to give them an “opportunity to shine”.

The mixed impact


This extra effort isn’t all bad. In some cases, says Cambon, “when you’re choosing to do these quiet overwork tasks because you are passionate about your work – or think you can gain something from it – they aren’t necessarily a negative addition to your life”.

It all depends on the context, she adds: “It’s really important to distinguish between two types of work – the work that gives you energy and the work that takes energy away from you.”

We're seeing… more employees who feel monitored by their organisations, and then feel like they have to put in extra hours – Alexia Cambon


Like Cambon, Christina Maslach, professor of psychology emerita at University of California, Berkeley, also thinks these kinds of tasks can have a positive impact – that is, if workers ensure they’re getting something back from this extra work, instead of just doing them for the sake of it.

“The question is, ‘how is this actually making a difference?’,” says Maslach. For instance, she says, do you feel more prepared? Are you becoming more engaged with your work? Was all your meeting prep effective, since you impressed your boss, and now you’re up for a promotion? Then, she believes, it may be worth it – in moderation.

Robert, a trainee solicitor in London, is one worker who says he’s reaped the benefits of these outside-work tasks. “When I first started my job, I would read a work-related blog outside of work hours, because I wanted to be able to talk to people at the office about work-related stuff,” he says. Robert says this kind of overwork helped him connect with the higher-ups, and made him feel more confident as he started a new career track.

However, for many, this overwork no longer feels like a choice – and that’s when things go bad. This can especially be the case, says Cambon, when these off-hours tasks become another form of presenteeism – for instance, an employee reading a competitor’s website and sharing links in a messaging channel at night, just so they can signal to their boss they’re always on. “We're seeing… more employees who feel monitored by their organisations, and then feel like they have to put in extra hours,” she says.

As such, this hidden overwork can do a lot of potential damage if it becomes an unspoken requirement. “If there’s more expectation and burden associated with it, that’s where people are going to have negative consequences,” says Nancy Rothbard, management professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, US. “That’s where it becomes tough on them.”

Although the experts say it’s OK if the work side of the scale is slightly heavier for a bit of time, when that imbalance grows too big or lasts too long, people can find their mental health and wellness in trouble. “You're not getting to use parts of your life for other things that mean something to you, because it all has to keep going into the workplace jar,” says Maslach. “If it becomes a more chronic kind of lifestyle, it can lead to this more negative, full-blown burnout.”

Networking at a personal event is an example of the kind of hidden overwork that can become extremely common


The difficulty of drawing the line


Of course, to do well in some industries, employees have to keep their heads in the game behind the scenes. But for many workers, that’s not necessarily the case – yet these tasks have just found their way into everyday work. Is it possible to dislodge them as normalised, now that they’re all but built into the way many people work?

It’s unclear, at least right now.

In some cases, it may be especially difficult, especially for those who work for the employers who expect this extra effort. Cambon says employers may already be defining strong performers as those “engaging at all hours”. If that trend continues to expand, then some workers – or at least those who want to progress – may have no choice but to let work seep into their home lives.

Additionally, the increasing blurring of work-life boundaries in the pandemic era may make it harder to separate one’s professional life from the personal – and workers may not even realise these lives have braided together so much. “The remote-work phenomenon has made it more difficult for people to know when to stop,” says Rothbard. And it’s not clear yet whether people will be able to draw better boundaries as they settle into new hybrid work models, or if employees’ work and life worlds are now irrevocably merged.

If hidden overwork turns out to be unavoidable, experts say the best thing workers can do is to make sure they are getting something out of it, be it inspiration for a project or a salary bump. Because otherwise, even if the extra contributions are only take a little time, the ‘always on’ mentality can be damaging in the long-term.

Beth is still struggling against her urge to hidden overwork, as she hasn’t had any opportunities for promotion or progression. But it’s not easy to shake off the behaviour, she says – it still feels necessary to go above and beyond. “I wish I could quiet quit instead,” she says, “but I just don't think it's in me.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×