You’ve met the office martyr. They come in early and are the last to leave; they refuse to help or delegate; they refuse to take a holiday in case it pushes the company into liquidation and they actively seek out extra work – and then let everyone else know about it. You may think that they’ve got corporate wellness sorted – if not a life – wellness experts warn that overworking, or going on about it, won’t do anything to help your career.
According to psychologist and director of Voice Project Dr Peter Langford, ‘The tireless employee presents a tempting dilemma to most managers. How can a manager say no if you’re willing to put in extra hours, solve more problems, and sell more products? Such a high level of commitment can come with significant costs and your ability to deliver value to an employer may be short-lived if your hectic workload is unsustainable.’ With such “hyper-commitment” you risk early career burnout, passing on your own stress to colleagues and clients, generating counterproductive competition and creating poor quality products or services due to hasty decisions and cutting corners.
Langford warns, ‘Some energetic and ambitious employees simply love doing the hard yards either because they are passionate about their work or are driven to fast track their careers. These motivations aren’t wrong but lives and families can also be ruined if too many sacrifices are being made along the way.’ One such sacrifice is your down time, which is more at risk than ever due to that smartphone in your pocket. Jane McNeill, director of recruitment company Hays, explains, ‘The growth and flexibility of “digital nomads” has changed the work environment. Mobile devices have led to a wider acceptance that working from home is a viable alternative to centralised workplaces.’
However, just because you can contact the office at any time, it doesn’t mean you should. Employers are becoming more concerned about presenteeism, meaning you come into work when you should be off sick or on holiday. McNeill cautions that this causes you to be less efficient at your job which, in turn, costs corporations millions every year. ‘It’s not about how many hours you are in the office, but how productive you are while at work,’ says McNeill. ‘Do this by minimising unnecessary interruptions, effectively prioritising and organising your to-do list and delegating where appropriate.’
