LiveCareer Survey Finds 77% of Workers Take on Extra Duties Weekly; 93% Say It Leads to Burnout

Only 11% of workers set boundaries, as pressure to accept additional tasks fuels widespread burnout and challenges productivity.

GUAYNABO, PR, January 16, 2025—LiveCareer®, a career service dedicated to resumes and cover letters, has released its Hidden Costs and Rewards of Extra Work Report, highlighting the prevalence of extra work responsibilities in the workplace and the impact these added tasks have on employee well-being and productivity. Based on a December 2024 survey of 1,160 U.S. workers, the report uncovers the challenges workers face, from burnout to difficulty managing workload expectations, while also shedding light on the positive outcomes some workers experience.

Key insights:

• 77% of employees are asked to take on additional work beyond their job description at least weekly.
• 93% of employees experience burnout from taking on extra work.
• Only 11% say they negotiate or set boundaries.
• Strained relationships with supervisors (40%) and reduced productivity (37%) are the top negative outcomes.
• Skill development (33%) and financial rewards (32%) are the top cited benefits.

“Extra work can be a stepping stone for career growth, with many workers viewing it as an opportunity to develop valuable skills and advance professionally,” said Jasmine Escalera, career expert for LiveCareer. “However, balancing additional tasks with core responsibilities can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction for some, especially when expectations are unclear or unfairly distributed.”

The Prevalence of Extra Work

Extra tasks are a reality for most employees, with the majority of workers saying they are regularly asked to perform work that falls outside of their job descriptions on a weekly basis. 

• 77% of employees are asked to take on additional work beyond their job description at least weekly.
  • 36% face these requests daily.
  • 41% are asked weekly.
  • Only 3% say they are never asked to take on extra work.

Burnout Is Widespread

The majority of workers experience burnout as a direct result of taking on additional responsibilities. 

• 93% of employees experience burnout from taking on extra work.
  • 59% frequently feel burned out from not saying no to extra responsibilities.
  • 34% occasionally experience burnout due to taking on extra work.

Reactions to Requests for Extra Work

When asked to take on extra tasks, most employees feel pressured to say yes, even when it may conflict with their workload or personal boundaries. 

• 56% of employees feel pressured and agree reluctantly to additional tasks.
• 30% accept extra work willingly.
• Only 11% set boundaries and say no to extra responsibilities.
• Just 3% decline requests.

Why Employees Say Yes

Employees take on additional responsibilities for a variety of reasons, often driven by external pressures or personal ambitions. 

• 27% cite pressure from managers or leadership.
• 24% want to seek recognition or stand out.
• 23% aim to be team players.
• 18% are motivated by career advancement opportunities.
• 8% admit they do not know how to decline extra work.

Sources of Extra Work

Requests for additional tasks come from a variety of sources:

• 23% from direct managers.
• 22% from senior leaders or vice presidents.
• 22% from coworkers.
• 21% from managers of other teams.
• 13% from HR departments.

Types of Extra Work Assigned

The additional responsibilities employees are asked to take on span a wide range of tasks, often extending beyond their core job functions. Employees reported being asked to take on:

• 37% planning or coordinating workplace events.
• 37% administrative duties.
• 34% of tasks are typically handled by another department.
• 32% overtime.
• 29% of tasks are from unfilled positions.
• 28% mentoring or training colleagues.
• 28% covering for absent coworkers.

Positive Outcomes

While taking on extra work presents challenges, many employees recognize significant benefits that can contribute to their personal and professional growth. These outcomes highlight how additional responsibilities, when managed effectively, can create valuable opportunities:

• 33% report skill development as a key benefit.
• 32% experience financial rewards like bonuses or raises.
• 31% form closer relationships with colleagues.
• 31% see opportunities for career advancement.

Negative Outcomes

However, employees face significant drawbacks when taking on extra work, particularly with their supervisor relationships and productivity levels:

• 40% experience strained relationships with supervisors.
• 37% report reduced productivity.
• 34% feel lower job satisfaction.
• 32% are concerned about setting unrealistic expectations for future performance.

Perceptions of Fairness and Compensation

Many employees view their extra responsibilities as essential to organizational success, with most feeling adequately rewarded for their efforts. However, perceptions of fairness and the benefits of extra work vary significantly across age groups:

• 56% of employees believe the extra work they take on is critical to the business’s success.
• 90% feel fairly compensated for their additional tasks.
• Older workers (41+) are more likely to perceive task distribution as fair (75%) compared to younger workers (25 or younger, 35%).
• Older workers (36%) are the most likely to see career advancement as a positive outcome, while younger workers (19%) are less likely to experience the same benefit.

“Organizations must strike a delicate balance between assigning additional tasks to foster employee growth and avoiding overburdening their workforce,” said Escalera. “By prioritizing open communication, equitable workload distribution, and encouraging healthy boundary-setting, employers can create a workplace culture that supports professional development while maintaining sustainable productivity, employee satisfaction and long-term organizational success.”

To view the full report with more information, please visit https://www.livecareer.com/resources/the-hidden-cost-of-extra-work or contact Nathan Barber at nathan.barber@bold.com. 

Methodology:

The findings provided were gathered through a survey conducted with 1,160 American workers on December 3, 2024. Participants were asked to share their feelings on how saying "no" to additional responsibilities impacts their personal lives and mental health by responding to various question types, including yes/no questions, open-ended questions, scale-based questions gauging agreement levels, and questions that permitted the selection of multiple options from a list of answers.

About LiveCareer

LiveCareer is the premier career site empowering job seekers to find their path to professional success. Since 2005, LiveCareer has helped over 10 million workers worldwide by offering information, expert guidance, and support to boost their chances of finding a job in less time. This includes providing job seekers with resume templates that can help them build stronger resumes and cover letters. LiveCareer’s extensive suite of career resources also includes interview prep tools and original content to help candidates navigate their job search and target their chosen career path. Stay connected with LiveCareer's latest updates on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

A Third of People Track Their Health or Fitness. Who Are They and Why Are They Doing it?

A recent international GfK survey, conducted online in 16 countries, shows one in three people (33 percent) currently monitor or track their health or fitness via an online or mobile application, or via a fitness band, clip, or smartwatch.

China is well in the lead for monitoring health and fitness in this way, with 45 percent of the online population currently doing this. Brazil and the USA come next, with 29 percent each, closely followed by Germany (28 percent) and France (26 percent).

In most countries studied, men are ahead of women in this activity, but five countries stand out as having a higher percentage of their female than their male online population currently tracking their health and fitness in this way: China (48 percent of women, compared to 43 percent of the men), Russia (21 percent of women and 17 percent of men), France (27 percent and 25 percent), Australia (20 percent and 18 percent), and Canada (20 percent and 19 percent).

Looking at age, it is those aged 30-39 and 20-29 years old that are most keen on tracking their health and fitness - standing at 41 percent and 39 percent of each age group respectively. However, teenagers (15-19 year olds) and the 20-29 year olds both show almost a quarter of their numbers saying that, while they do not currently monitor their health or fitness in this way, they have done so in the past. This suggests potential for bringing this significant number of 'past users' back into the market, given the right offers or messages by retailers or manufacturers.

Reasons for tracking health or fitness

Over half (55 percent) of those who are currently tracking their health and fitness said one of the reasons they do it is "to maintain or improve my physical condition or fitness" - making this the most popular reason internationally.

The next most widespread reason is motivating themselves to exercise, selected by half (50 percent) of those currently tracking.

Several of the reasons given by those currently tracking health or fitness are a reminder that users of these trackers value them for benefits that are not exclusive to the world of sports. Over a third give "to improve my energy levels" or "to motivate myself to eat and drink healthily" as a reason for tracking their health or fitness, while 29 percent say "to improve sleep" and a quarter say "to be more productive". In addition, 22 percent say "because it's fun". Only 14 percent of those currently tracking their health or fitness say they are doing it "to train for an event."

Why are people tracking or monitoring their health or fitness?
To maintain or improve my physical
condition/fitness                          55%
To motivate myself to exercise             50%
To improve my energy level                 35%
To motivate myself to eat and drink
healthily                                  34%
To improve sleep                           29%
Because it's part of my daily routine      29%
To lose weight                             29%
To be more productive                      24%
Because it's fun                           22%
To monitor or track a specific health
condition                                  17%
To train for an event (race, sport, etc.)  14%
To compete with other people               8%
For some other reason                      2%
Not sure                                   1%

Source: GfK survey of 4,900+ internet users (ages 15+) in 16 countries who currently track their health or fitness; multiple answers allowed. Fieldwork was conducted in the summer of 2016.

Jan Wassmann, global lead for wearables research at GfK, comments, "These findings demonstrate the attraction that health and fitness monitoring has within much wider groups than just the obvious young sports players. Manufacturers and retailers can use these insights - combined with our point-of-sales data on purchases of wearable devices - to understand who are their real-life users and why, and tailor their products to deepen that appeal."

Download charts showing the full findings: http://www.gfk.com/global-studies/global-study-overview/

About the study

GfK conducted the online survey with over 20,000 consumers aged 15 or older across 16 countries. Fieldwork was completed in summer 2016. Data are weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the online population aged 15+ in each market. Countries covered are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Spain, UK and USA.

http://www.gfk.com / https://twitter.com/GfK

The coming holiday season is a joy
ful time of year that brings together families and friends. However, it can also be quite stressful – especially for those who have a child with autism.
With that in mind, FirstPath Autism http://www.firstpathautism.com would like to offer up tips to help handle everything from holiday party meltdowns to stress that can arise from schedule changes and holiday travels. While compiled for those with an autistic child in their lives, many of the tips work just as well for all families. 

SCHEDULE CHANGES AND TRAVEL
1. Prepare for changes in home and school routines.
The holidays mean that your family’s usual routine shifts, and that causes disruption for everyone, including your child. Much as children may look forward to the season of celebrations, they may not understand that it involves trade-offs too. For example, having a holiday pageant at school may mean that their favorite art class is cancelled for the day. Be sure to discuss these changes with your child ahead of time. Your child may not infer that the pageant means that art class won’t happen as usual.

2. Assess sugar impact and decide what’s reasonable.
The holidays often mean different foods and lots of seasonal treats. Find a balance between prudence and fun. Unless food allergies or confirmed intolerances are involved, consider allowing your child space to eat some special-occasion treats. Popcorn, cinnamon-baked apples, and trail mix are perennial winter favorites for kids who need to avoid certain food products or additives.

3. Be mindful of sensory issues.
The holidays mean plenty of flashing lights, decorations, and music. Festive celebration can be challenging for individuals with autism and sensory processing disorder. Consider having your child help you either pick out decorations for the house or have him/her help you with decorating and preparing.

4. Ease into traveling and change.
If you will be traveling to see family and friends, prepare your child for what the experience will be like. To help ease your child into the trip, you may want to bring along any special foods needed and a favorite object. If you’re flying, check with the TSA regarding any rules that may apply and consider reaching out to the airline in advance. Let them know you’ll be traveling with a child with autism and include any special information that might be helpful.

5. If the traditions don’t fit, make your own!
Most of us start thinking in terms of tradition when the holidays approach. Given this, it’s easy to get caught up in how things are “supposed” to be. Holidays can include baking cookies, making gingerbread houses, and/or gathering with families and friends. But what if your child refuses to bake, is terrified of carollers, or wants to go to bed early? Remember that, as a parent, you get to do what works for you and your family.  In this time of joy and closeness, go easy on yourself by letting go of comparisons, shoulds, and “What will the extended family think?” Embrace the reality of your own household, and most of all, have fun!

HOLIDAY PARTY MELTDOWNS
Picture this: You and your family have made it to your favorite annual party.  Everyone’s having a great time … that is, until your child with autism gets completely overwhelmed by the festivities.
You tried to redirect her attention, but it didn’t work.

What’s your next move?

Meltdown Prevention 101
Our initial recommendation is that you do what you can to prevent a meltdown prior to its inception. Remember that behavior is learned, and that what you model during calm moments will influence what happens during stressful ones.

If you take time to teach your child appropriate self-management strategies, he or she will have a much better chance of maintaining their emotional control in difficult situations.
For example, you can:
• Remind your child of the appropriate behavior and associated reward
• Employ social stories and role-playing exercises to educate about appropriate behavior
• Prompt the identification and verbal expression of feeling states
• Review deep breathing techniques
• Use adaptive equipment to provide calming pressure or lessen the experience of sensory overload

Child psychologist Lauren Elder, Autism Speaks assistant director for dissemination science, speaks to this question in Parents of Child with Autism Seeking Help Handling Public Meltdowns.  https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2013/12/20/parents-child-autism-seek-help-handling-public-meltdownsElder suggests the following essential steps:

1. Stay calm
This might seem obvious to you now, but in the chaotic moments surrounding a meltdown, it won’t seem so clear-cut. When your child is struggling, it’s easy to get swept away by frustration and panic, but the calmer you can remain in the crisis, the more effective you’ll be at helping your child.  Take a moment to breathe and regain a sense of calm within yourself …. Your reaction is so important. You have the power to escalate or de-escalate the situation with your words, body language, and overall approach.

2. Stop and help your child
This might seem self-evident, but parents often try to manage their child’s behavior while simultaneously working, eating, or conversing with other people?  Some such parental juggling is inevitable, and even the best parents need to divide their attention at times. However, make sure that you don’t do this during a meltdown. If your child is truly out of control, you need to be fully present and attentive to what’s happening around you. Otherwise, their physical and emotional well-being is put at risk.

However, giving your full attention doesn’t mean lecturing, bargaining, or disciplining. If your child is having a true meltdown, she is in a panicked, fight-or-flight state. As such, she won’t be able to engage in new learning.

In addition, be sure not to give in to any request or demand that directly preceded the meltdown. Doing so reinforces the idea that meltdowns yield positive results, and that’s not what you want to teach!
Rather than shouting, correcting, or rewarding negative behavior, simply prioritize safety. You can work on teaching once your child has regained equilibrium.

You can also reduce stimulation levels. This may mean a quick move to a quieter, more private space. If that’s not a possibility, you can stay put and lower lights, block excess noise, and disperse a crowd if one has gathered. Which brings us to our final point …

3. Tell bystanders what you need them to do
One of the most difficult elements of a public meltdown is … the public. Even if you’re at a party where the guests know and love your child, it’s still stressful to have him melt down.  That said, you can take this potential frustration and turn it around. If you’re concerned about communicating with bystanders, try talking to friends and family members ahead of time about what to expect should your child lose control.
You might consider carrying cards to hand to strangers if it helps to explain the situation. But if you’re surrounded by close friends and family, it may be easier to simply plan ahead and ask for what you need (be it space or support) in advance.

Finally, after a meltdown ends, make sure to take time to recuperate before re-entering the party. You both need to take pause and rest before getting back on your feet.

Want more guidance on this topic? These 10 Tips for Managing a Meltdown, with specific guidance from Amalie D. Holly, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst on the FirstPath Autism team can help further. http://info.firstpathautism.com/meltdown-guide-parents

Tips courtesy of FirstPath Autism:
FirstPath Autism is an organization dedicated to the education, training, and awareness of evidence-based autism treatment developed by the Founder, Romina Kiryakous at the Genesis Behavior Center in Turlock, CA. The treatment practiced at Genesis is based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the most widely covered treatment for autism by insurance companies. In 2015, Kiryakous developed FirstPath Autism, a personalized online education, support, and training program dedicated to the parents and caregivers of children with autism. The goal of FirstPath Autism is to offer an autism lifeline to parents and to help care givers better serve children with autism.