Nearly two-thirds of employees consider themselves office workhorses – those reliable employees who take on more than their share of tasks.
Gen X employees are the most likely to self-identify as workhorses in the office, while Gen Z employees are the least likely to view themselves as workhorses, according to a survey of 1,000 employees by SideHustles.com. Sixty-two percent of millennials and 57% of baby boomers view themselves as workhorses. Marketing professionals are the most likely to perceive themselves as workhorses, followed by those working in real estate, health care, retail, information technology, hospitality and education.
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These employees often manage extra duties that benefit the team but don’t always receive promotions or raises that reflect their effort. Fifty-six percent of workhorses said they take on between three and five extra tasks beyond their job duties, and 13% say they take on more than six extra tasks. Twenty-four percent of workhorses said their extra tasks should be handled by managers or senior colleagues, compared with 12% of non-workhorses. More than half of office workhorses feel their contributions are undervalued and one in eight indicated they have not received a pay raise in the past three years, according to the report.
“Taking on extra responsibilities at work may seem like a fast track to career growth, but for many employees, it’s a road to burnout instead,” the report said.
Fifty-five percent of those who identify as workhorses feel stuck in their job, and 51% feel burnt out. This has led to about one-third considering leaving their job, one-quarter exploring other roles and 7% planning to transition to freelancing.
“This trend is telling, as many workhorses may see freelancing as a way to gain more control over their workloads and income, offering a potential escape from the pressures of traditional office roles,” said the report.
Still, workhorses earned on average $70,500 per year, compared with non-workhorses, who bring home $62,000 on average. Forty-five percent of workhorses said their efforts have resulted in career advancement, while 35% of non-workhorses felt the same.
“Fifty-five percent of workhorses report that they haven’t been able to make the career advancements they had planned,” said the report. “This demonstrates a significant roadblock for those who go above and beyond, suggesting that extra work alone isn’t enough to guarantee career growth. It also raises questions about whether these employees are being fairly compensated for their efforts or whether the ‘workhorse’ mentality sometimes leads to worker exploitation.”
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