Staff who go extra mile in jobs are likely to be exploited by boss

No good deed goes unpunished! Staff who go the extra mile in their jobs are more likely to be exploited by their bosses who view them as an easy target for extra tasks, study shows

• Such staff are more likely to stay late or do tasks not in their job description
• Being too dedicated to the job can backfire on employees, researchers said

Staff who go the extra mile in their jobs are more likely to be exploited by their bosses, a study shows.

Managers take advantage of employees who show the greatest loyalty as they view them as an easy target for extra tasks.

Researchers found such staff are more likely to be asked to stay late, do things that are not in their job description or even take work on holiday with them.

They warn that being too dedicated to the job can backfire on employees and have negative consequences for their career and home life.

Workplace loyalty is traditionally lauded as an admirable quality in most employees.

Researchers found such staff are more likely to be asked to stay late, do things that are not in their job description or even take work on holiday with them

Managers take advantage of employees who show the greatest loyalty, the research found. File image

It means they are more likely to fully commit to their roles and less prone to moving to rival employers.

Most companies rely on staff loyalty to ensure the business runs smoothly and with minimal disruption.

But the latest study, by researchers from Duke University in North Carolina, USA, suggests many bosses abuse staff dedication.

The study, by Duke University in North Carolina, US, presented managers with two employee profiles. One had a reputation for loyalty to their boss, the other was much less likely to be loyal.

They were asked which one they would request to work late for no extra pay or do unpopular tasks with no reward. The results, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, showed bosses were more willing to take advantage of loyal workers than try to get those with less commitment to do the tasks.

The researchers said: ‘Managers presume loyal workers are particularly likely to do this extra work as loyalty comes with an expectation of self-sacrifice to the organisation as a whole.

‘But it seems unlikely that managers would expect a disloyal worker to show such self-sacrifice.’

Professor Cary Cooper, an expert in organisation psychology and health at Manchester University, said: ‘Good people are often dumped on by organisations or individual managers without getting any of the recognition that should come with it – such as more money or a promotion.

‘Part of the problem is a lot of managers are technically highly-skilled but have appalling people skills.

‘They’re the kind that will most likely try and exploit staff loyalty.’

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