Overwork and Success: 5 Key Lessons for Professionals

Quick Summary

• A report by LiveCareer highlights the hidden costs of workplace overwork culture, surveying 1,160 US employees.
• Findings:

– 77% do tasks outside their role weekly; only 3% report never being asked to do extra work.
– Burnout affects 93% of employees due to overextension, with nearly 60% feeling frequent exhaustion from inability to say “no.”

• Overwork often stems from managerial requests (23%), senior leaders (22%), coworkers (22%), other managers (21%), and HR (13%). Tasks include management, overtime, mentoring, and filling in for absent colleagues.
• Rewards exist: Around one-third experience skill growth or career advancement. However, benefits appear skewed toward older workers; younger workers see limited benefit despite similar efforts.
• Major challenges involve balancing short-term gains like promotions against long-term risks such as burnout and systemic overdependence on stretching employee capacity.

Image:
!How saying yes to overwork can hinder success

Read More

Indian Opinion Analysis

The LiveCareer report is a cautionary reflection on modern workplace dynamics-from glorified overextension to its consequences like widespread burnout.While financial rewards and skill-building remain tangible benefits, they are heavily counterbalanced by systemic exhaustion that impacts productivity and mental health.

For India’s workforce-a mix of traditional hierarchical structures alongside growing corporate cultures-this raises questions about the sustainability of current workplace practices. If unchecked reliance on extra work becomes ingrained in management styles here too,it risks eroding long-term employee satisfaction and retention rates. Promoting balance-focused policies may define resilient workplaces capable of sustaining both human potential and business growth.Legislative frameworks like work-hour caps or mental health support initiatives could play a pivotal role in reconfiguring India’s corporate culture toward fostering healthier boundaries without sacrificing efficiency or ambition.