Resume Now Study Reveals 65% of Workers Feel Empowered to Say No Extra Work

Balancing professional responsibilities and personal well-being is a constant challenge for many workers. According to Resume Now®'s latest report, The Price of Extra Work, 65% of professionals feel empowered to decline additional tasks. However, the emotional and mental toll of taking on—or refusing—extra responsibilities remains a significant issue. The survey, which gathered insights from 1,160 workers on December 3, 2024, highlights how setting boundaries can bring relief and confidence, yet burnout and mental health struggles persist, especially for younger employees and women.

So, what does it mean to feel empowered to say "no"? And why are so many still struggling with stress and workload management?

Key Findings

• 65% of workers feel empowered to decline extra work, with younger workers (25 and under) reporting the highest levels of empowerment (77%).
• Men are more comfortable setting boundaries (69%) than women (62%), while women are more likely to weigh the situation before saying "no."
• Younger workers report higher levels of frustration (38%) and difficulty managing workloads (38%) compared to older colleagues.
• 28% of workers have left a job due to stress or burnout.

Majority Feel Empowered to Say "No" to Extra Work

Saying "no" at work is becoming more common, but not everyone feels equally confident in setting boundaries. Gender and age play a significant role in who feels most empowered to decline extra tasks.

• 65% of workers feel empowered to decline extra work, with younger workers (25 and under) reporting the highest levels of empowerment (77%) compared to workers aged 26-40 (56%) and workers aged 41+ (66%).
• Gender differences exist: Men are more comfortable setting boundaries (69%) than women (62%), while women are more likely to weigh the situation before saying "no."
• Younger workers (25 or younger) report the highest levels of empowerment to say "no" (77%) compared to workers aged 26-40 (56%) and workers aged 41+ (66%).
• Workers aged 26-40 are the most likely to feel they cannot say "no" without negative consequences (12%), compared to just 3% of workers 25 or younger and 4% of those aged 41+.

What This Means: Employers should create a supportive culture that empowers all workers, particularly mid-career professionals and women, to set boundaries without fear of negative consequences.

Burnout and Mental Health Challenges Are Widespread

Burnout remains a significant issue, with many workers struggling to balance extra responsibilities and personal well-being.

• 59% of workers frequently experience burnout due to difficulty saying "no" to extra work.
• Accepting extra work often interferes with personal or family time, with 52% reporting occasional interference and 12% experiencing it constantly.

What This Means: Employers should address burnout by encouraging manageable workloads and fostering a culture that prioritizes work-life balance.

Emotional Responses to Declining Extra Work

Saying "no" often brings relief and confidence, but for some, it also stirs feelings of guilt—especially among younger workers.

• Declining extra responsibilities commonly provokes relief (42%) and confidence in prioritizing tasks (31%).
• Younger workers (25 and under) feel the most relief (45%) but also the most guilt (26%).

What This Means: Employers should recognize the emotional impact of workload decisions and support younger workers in setting boundaries without guilt.

Gender and Age Play a Role in Stress and Mental Health

There were also some notable demographic differences when it comes to extra work's impact on mental health, including differences in how men and women experience the issue:

• Women are more likely than men to report frustration (43% vs. 36%) and difficulty concentrating (41% vs. 35%) due to extra work.
• Younger workers (25 and under) report higher levels of frustration (38%) and difficulty managing workloads (38%) compared to older colleagues.

What This Means: Employers should implement strategies to reduce frustration and improve focus, especially for women and younger workers, by promoting equitable workloads and offering mental health resources.

Proactive Strategies to Combat Burnout

When burnout hits, workers take action. These are the most common strategies they use to cope:

• 28% of workers have left a job due to stress or burnout.
• Common strategies include adjusting workloads or setting boundaries (34%) and seeking support from managers or colleagues (32%).

What This Means: Employers should prioritize burnout prevention by encouraging open communication, offering support systems, and promoting workload management to retain talent.

Workload Management Still a Struggle

Managing workloads remains a challenge for many employees, even with proactive efforts to set boundaries and seek support.

• 42% of workers experience difficulty managing workload expectations.
• Burnout remains a persistent challenge despite proactive efforts to set boundaries and seek support.

What This Means: Employers should actively reassess workload distribution and provide tools to help employees manage expectations, reducing burnout and improving overall productivity.

Methodology:

The findings provided were gathered through a survey conducted with 1,160 American workers on December 3, 2024. Participants were asked to share their feelings on how saying "no" to additional responsibilities impacts their personal lives and mental health by responding to various question types, including yes/no questions, open-ended questions, scale-based questions gauging agreement levels, and questions that permitted the selection of multiple options from a list of answers.

Keith Spencer, CPRW

Career Expert

Keith is a Career Expert and content contributor for Resume Now. He is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with over a decade of experience in the career development field. Keith also holds a Master's of Education from Cabrini University.

Read more articles by Keith Spencer, CPRW