Survey Says 78% Of Workers Are Asked To Do This One Thing At Work That They Can't Refuse
MAYA LAB / Shutterstock Many workers know that "Can you take this on?" isn't really a question. In reality, it's an expectation.
Workers are facing a trend of being "voluntold" to do more work that's framed as optional but really isn't. Employers make it seem like an opportunity for growth or teamwork, but employees know that it's a small expansion of their workload without any accompanying benefits.
A new survey reveals that the majority of workers have been 'voluntold' to take on more work.
In a study commissioned by Office Beacon and conducted by Talker Research, researchers asked 2,000 employed Americans about their current work responsibilities and how they can work more sustainably. Participants reported that, on average, nine new tasks are added to their workload each year.
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Most workers say they don't actually get a choice in this, as 78% claim they have been "voluntold" to do something they didn't agree to. Twelve percent even shared that they've been "voluntold" to do extra tasks at some point in the last day.
Who is most often on the receiving end of these additional tasks? According to the survey, it's Gen Z workers (17%). They are typically in lower-level roles with less power and fewer established boundaries, so there's a much lower risk that they'll push back.
The most common reason for an increasing workload is being short-staffed.
Across all industries, a lack of staffing (37%) forces workers to do more than they signed up for. While 28% of workers said these new responsibilities were assigned to them without any discussion with their management, 17% also said that tasks that were supposed to be temporary ended up becoming a permanent part of their job.
Unfortunately, this additional work often doesn't come with incentives. Fifty-three percent said they never received any kind of raise, promotion, or other recognition for doing more.
Being "voluntold" also impacts a worker's performance in other ways. Nearly three in four (74%) say that new tasks affect their ability to do their existing work because they feel that they can't keep up. This puts them at higher risk for burnout and worsening mental health.
Workers believe that a few reasonable things can make their workload more manageable.
Out of those who said their workplace has introduced AI tools in the last three years, over a third (31%) said it has made their workload more efficient. Almost 40% of participants think they would be able to save even more time at work if they received training for AI tools from a human, rather than from a self-guided program, course, or other automated training.
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This study found that most workers using AI received training for it," says Pranav Dalal, chief executive officer and founder of Office Beacon." So why do workers still feel burnt out, and why are many still not feeling much more efficient in their roles? This indicates a larger toxic corporate culture issue, where leaders are heaping more and more on their employees' plates. With AI as a tool, the opposite should be happening."
Along with improved training, better pay or recognition would be most beneficial to millennials (40%), Gen X (37%), and baby boomers (42%). And Gen Z? Thirty-three percent claim they simply want better communication from management.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
