Going the extra mile: Navigating approaches to working additional hours
Meet Jo, a young, talented and ambitious financial analyst. Well paid for her work, she was in the habit of regularly putting in long hours – like everyone else in the organisation. Last year, when a key project Jo and her team were involved in neared its deadline, her manager insisted they redo a large part of the work.
The team argued it was unnecessary and would negatively impact finalising other aspects of the project. Nevertheless, the manager instructed them to just redo it. For nearly two full weeks, Jo and her team found themselves working until four in the morning, going home for a quick shower, maybe a cat nap, then returning to the office by 6 am.
It wasn’t surprising that with this gruelling schedule, Jo ended up collapsing at work from exhaustion. Her youth and good health meant that with rest, she recovered quickly. But when it turned out the additional work had been unnecessary and would not be used, she felt demoralised that her team’s efforts had been for nothing.
I know this because at the time, Jo and I were working on a community event together. Her crazy hours meant she had to withdraw her help, leaving others in our group to pick up the slack and get the event happening. Around the same time, she missed an important family gathering and began to question whether she’d be able to take the holiday she and her husband had long-planned.
The impacts of working more and more hours go well beyond the workplace, and means how we choose to allocate our time in this ‘one wild and precious life’ [1] needs some deeper scrutiny.
Australians at (over)work
On average, Australian workers perform six weeks of unpaid labour each year, with Australian businesses profiting from 2.5 billion hours of unpaid labour – equating to $92 billion in unpaid wages. This is at a time when workers are experiencing high cost-of-living pressures, the workers’ share of national income is at an all-time low and profit share is at a near-record high. [2] And Australia is not alone in seeing unpaid hours becoming part of the job. Similar trends have been identified in the USA and the UK. [3,4]
The impacts of extended periods of overwork are all encompassing – physical, emotional and relational. People become exhausted and stressed, and those who were previously highly motivated can experience a profound loss of confidence and drive. And with no reserves of energy to put into their personal life and relationships, many employees often spend non-work time just trying to recover.
So why don’t we just say no?
Where does the pressure to do more-than-seems-reasonable come from?
Why is doing more so irresistible for some and a seemingly intractable problem in many workplaces?
Pressure from inside and out
The need to keep going, do more and just get it done is both an inside and an outside job. There are external drives from workplace culture, leader expectations and social norms that suggest if we work hard, we will be well rewarded – not only financially, but with status, fulfillment, happiness and a good life. And no one wants to be seen as a ‘bludger’ – a common derisory term (often used as political and media fodder) applied to those who are believed to be not working (or not trying to work) hard enough. Alongside these deeply held cultural beliefs, our individual psychological make-up can see us double-down on our need to do more. Many of us derive a great deal of our personal identity from our work. This can see us put pressure on ourselves to excel, want to always please others or become disruptive. Working long hours can also be a refuge (albeit an imperfect one) from the complexity of modern life and the challenges of family and relationships.
Navigating (non)discretionary effort
At times, we are happy to go above and beyond, perhaps to finalise something we care about, stay a little longer with a patient or do what’s required in an emergency. When we feel it is our choice, doing more can be energising and fulfilling. However, the internal and external pressures outlined above can leave us feeling as though we have no choice about working longer hours or taking on increased workloads. Often the decision to do more seems to be beyond our control. Such a lack of agency is ultimately exhausting, and can stymie our motivation and confidence. How we approach ‘going the extra mile’ reflects the influence of our internal and external drives, and our ability to choose our actions.
Four employee approaches to doing more
Being aware of how we undertake additional work for our organisation can help us reflect on what matters and potentially create more balance and meaning in our lives. This awareness also has implications for leaders when building a sustainable, healthy and productive team.
Compensated
In many roles, it’s normal for employees to expect that any additional hours they work will be recompensed. They can choose to do overtime in periods of increased need which is usually reimbursed in the form of extra pay or time off in lieu. This compensation can be mutually agreed upon as the situation arises but is often outlined in employee agreements. There are also other forms of compensations, like stipends, bonuses or incentives, that can mitigate the stresses and exertion employees face when choosing to do overtime.
Volunteer
Employees can choose to put in discretionary effort with no expectation of recompense. In these cases, they may not mind doing a bit more because they believe in the work, want to support their colleagues or have a desire to push through a major project. This can give them a sense of satisfaction as it is their choice to volunteer additional time and energy. However, there is no expectation by them – or their employers – that this effort should continue beyond their goal.
Addicted
It’s been argued that the term ‘workaholism’ has lost favour not only because working too much seems to be the new normal, but also because overworking has become valorised. Workaholism is no longer a problem to be solved, but a sign of our commitment, value and goodness. [5] Yet when employees become addicted to work, they may be unable to prioritise other things in their life. They come to believe they have no choice other than to work harder, or perhaps can’t switch off, or are unable to stop thinking about, acting on or engaging with work. This lack of balance can impact on their health, relationships and broader enjoyment of life.
Conscripted
At times, employees may feel that the expectations of the business and their leaders require them to put in more and more. With increased workloads, covering for vacant positions and looming deadlines, they begin to think that their only option is to arrive at work increasingly earlier, stay later and take work home to get it all done. If they don’t demonstrate their commitment to taking on more and being increasingly available, their fear of losing the respect of their bosses, or losing out on opportunities for promotion and development, increases. And by not fitting into the dominant, go-the-extra-mile-no-matter-what culture, they perceive their job as being under threat.
Considerations for leaders
It takes a lot of time, money and effort to replace staff who leave because of overwork or burnout. Then there is the unnecessary stress team members experience when they must cover vacant positions or the roles of overworked colleagues who need to take extended recovery leave. For leaders, being aware of how their people manage excessive workloads is the first step in stopping a potentially downward spiral into illness, attrition and reduction in the quality and quantity of the services their organisation provides.
So, how do you lead each of these approaches to doing (too much) more?
Leading the compensated
Negotiate rewards with your employees. Be creative and ask them what they value. While it may not always be possible to pay additional wages, it might be possible – or even preferable for some employees – to provide time off in lieu.
Share the decision-making with your employees and come to a clear, mutual agreement.
Always monitor your employees for excessive overtime that might impact their health and safety or the quality of their work.
Leading the volunteer
Recognise people who go the extra mile. This might be as simple as saying thank you and acknowledging your appreciation of their efforts.
You might discuss engaging the willing volunteer in interesting projects, provide professional development to support their career, or offer acting or secondment opportunities to broaden their experience.
Even though their additional work has been volunteered, you must still monitor the well-being of such employees and be alert to excessive volunteerism – especially in purpose-driven organisations.
Leading the work addicted
Do not try and diagnose or treat addiction yourself.
If you have a good relationship with the employee, you could encourage them to seek support through an employee assistance programme, coaching or other counselling alternatives.
Set clear expectations when it comes to non-working hours and model these yourself. If necessary, advise your employee to use technology to set boundaries – ask them to turn off their notifications over the weekend or set reminders to take breaks.
Be interested and encouraging of your employee’s non-work-related activities.
Leading the conscripted
Consider the values of your organisation and the culture you want to create. Are these reflected in the expectations you have of your employees? Or are you and the organisation expecting too much – and ultimately working against your own best interests?
Consciously and courageously prioritise the work that has the greatest impact so that your team knows what to focus on and why.
Interrogate whether your need for your people to go the extra mile is a capacity or capability issue. Is the organisation’s workload generally too high? Or are your people working above their current capabilities?
For many of us, going the extra mile can be rewarding when we freely choose to do so and are valued for our contribution. But the expectation – from ourselves or others – to consistently go above and beyond is unfair and unhealthy. It can impact the quality of the work we do and the lives we lead. Monitoring our approach to doing more can prevent burnout and inspire workable, sustainable alternatives to doing too much.
While the idea of ‘a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay’ may have lost some of its social currency, it looks to be regaining some ground. And so it should – beliefs about work are not immutable, and awareness can lead to positive change. But what does this mean for you?
Employees, remember to take stock of what matters and be aware of the choices you have before the overwhelm of overwork causes you harm. Leaders, examine your own drives and choices, and be courageous when confronted with unrealistic expectations from the business so you can be realistic with employee workloads. It’s time to make the forty-hour week (or whatever your Full-Time Equivalent is) mean what it says, help employees to thrive and increase the sustainability of your teams and organisation for many miles to come.