Dedicated Employees Face Higher Risk of Burnout Due to Managerial Bias, Study Finds

Dedicated Employees Face Higher Risk of Burnout Due to Managerial Bias, Study Finds
SLUG: dedicated-employees-burnout-managerial-bias-study
EXCERPT: New research from Cornell and Northeastern Universities reveals that managers disproportionately assign extra tasks to motivated employees, leading to silent burnout and a perception gap in workload and job satisfaction.
CATEGORY: ai-news
TAGS: employee burnout, management bias, workplace psychology, task assignment, employee motivation, Cornell University, Northeastern University
SEO_TITLE: Burnout Risk for Dedicated Employees: Managerial Bias and Task Overload
SEO_DESCRIPTION: A study by Cornell and Northeastern Universities shows that highly motivated employees are often assigned more tasks, leading to burnout. Explore the psychological reasons and practical implications for workplaces.
MEDIA_QUERY: graphic illustrating workload distribution showing bias towards motivated employee
IMAGE_ALT: Illustration showing a manager assigning tasks, with arrows pointing to a highly engaged employee who is receiving a disproportionate amount of work compared to a less engaged employee.

Managers often reward highly engaged employees with more responsibilities, but this can inadvertently lead to burnout, according to a study by Cornell University and Northeastern University. The research, which surveyed over 4,300 employees across various sectors, suggests that managers tend to assign additional tasks to those they perceive as most motivated, a bias that can significantly impact employee well-being and career progression.

The study, led by researchers including Sangah Bae, highlights a phenomenon termed “motivational oversimplification.” This psychological mechanism leads managers to believe that employees who enjoy their core tasks will also enjoy and be resilient to additional, often monotonous or routine, duties. However, this perception often creates a significant gap between the manager’s expectation and the employee’s actual experience, potentially leading to exhaustion and decreased job satisfaction.

Managerial Bias in Task Assignment

A field survey involving 834 middle managers revealed a clear pattern. When asked to assign extra tasks, 55% of managers chose the employee they perceived as most motivated, even when they had access to data on other variables such as age, experience, or performance. This suggests that subjective perceptions of motivation can override objective performance metrics in task allocation decisions.

To further investigate this bias, researchers conducted a laboratory experiment. In groups of three, where one person acted as a manager and the other two as employees competing for a bonus, 74% of managers assigned the extra task to the most motivated employee. This occurred even when managers understood that assigning this extra task could negatively impact that employee’s chances of receiving the bonus. The outcome was that only about 31.37% of these motivated employees ultimately received an extra bonus for their improved performance, indicating that the extra workload did not necessarily translate into proportional rewards for them.

Motivational Oversimplification

The core of this managerial tendency lies in what the researchers call “motivational oversimplification.” Managers operate under the assumption that if an employee is seen as enjoying their primary role, they will naturally enjoy and be able to handle any additional tasks. This simplification leads them to believe that this enjoyment acts as a buffer against exhaustion. The study quantifies this perception gap: managers estimated only a 0.2-point drop in job satisfaction for motivated employees given extra work, while affected employees reported a full 1-point decrease on the same scale.

This assumption that motivated employees are immune to burnout from additional tasks is a critical flaw. It overlooks the cumulative effect of increased workload, regardless of initial motivation, and the potential for routine or unrewarding tasks to erode job satisfaction over time.

Systematic Inequality in Workload

Over a six-day period in one of the study’s tests, managers selected the most motivated employee for additional tasks in 69% of instances, equating to an average of 4.2 out of 6 extra tasks assigned. This consistent pattern suggests that managers are inadvertently creating a systematic inequality in workload distribution within their teams.

Sangah Bae commented on this pattern, stating, “When managers have to assign additional work to their employees, they opt for the easiest route: a person they can trust. That employee who is your shortcut, that person you habitually turn to, who seems engaged and enjoys their work, could actually be suffering from silent burnout.” This highlights how reliance on seemingly dependable and enthusiastic employees can mask underlying issues of overwork and stress.

The Growing Problem of Overload and Burnout

The findings of the Cornell and Northeastern study add a critical layer to existing data on workplace stress. A 2025 study by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) revealed that 44% of EU workers are regularly exposed to task overload, with this figure rising to 49% in Spain. Furthermore, 29% of European workers reported experiencing stress, depression, or anxiety directly caused or aggravated by their work in the past year. In Spain, 40% of employees reported being affected by task overload.

While these broader statistics quantify the prevalence of overload and its impact on mental health, the Cornell and Northeastern research pinpoints a specific mechanism driving this issue: the disproportionate concentration of extra tasks on the most engaged employees. This targeted overload, driven by managerial perception rather than objective need or fair distribution, can be particularly damaging.

Practical Implications for Workflows

This research has significant implications for how organizations manage their workforce and assign tasks. It suggests a need for managers to adopt more objective criteria for task distribution, moving beyond simple perceptions of motivation. Implementing structured workload management systems, regular check-ins focused on capacity rather than just output, and training for managers on bias awareness are crucial steps.

For employees, understanding this bias can empower them to manage expectations and communicate their capacity more effectively. While dedication is often rewarded, it’s essential for employees to recognize when their willingness to take on extra work might be leading to detrimental overcommitment. The study suggests that even the most motivated individuals are susceptible to burnout when their workload exceeds their capacity, irrespective of their initial enjoyment of the tasks.

Key facts

• Research Institutions: Cornell University, Northeastern University
• Study Participants: 4,300+ employees across various sectors
• Managerial Bias Identified: Assigning extra tasks to employees perceived as most motivated
• Psychological Phenomenon: Motivational Oversimplification
• Impact on Employees: Increased risk of burnout, decreased job satisfaction, silent suffering

The study’s findings challenge the common workplace assumption that rewarding engaged employees with more work is always beneficial. It underscores the importance of a balanced and equitable approach to task assignment, one that acknowledges the limits of individual capacity and guards against the silent accumulation of burnout due to well-intentioned but biased managerial practices. For AI-powered workforce management tools, this research highlights the need for algorithms that can identify and mitigate such perceptual biases in task allocation, ensuring fairer distribution and preventing employee exhaustion.

Source: Si eres muy bueno en tu trabajo y tu jefe te manda más tareas que al resto, compártele este artículo, Xataka, https://www.xataka.com/empresas-y-economia/disfrutar-demasiado-tu-trabajo-tiene-precio-jefes-acaban-cargandote-tareas-burnout