Study Finds Increased Workloads, Burnout, and AI Adoption Among Employees

A survey of 2,000 employed Americans found that most respondents have been assigned new work responsibilities without additional pay or promotion, with many reporting increased workloads, burnout, and the introduction of artificial intelligence tools in their workplaces.

A study by Talker Research, commissioned by Office Beacon, surveyed 2,000 employed Americans to examine factors behind rising workloads and what workers need for sustainable employment. Respondents reported an average of nine new tasks added to their roles each year, with the rate of added responsibilities increasing rapidly.

Seventy-eight percent of workers said they had been “voluntold”—assigned new work they did not apply for or agree to—in the past year, and 12% reported being “voluntold” to take on extra work within the last day. Gen Z workers (17%) and logistics or field-based workers (15%) were most likely to have received new tasks as recently as the last day.

A lack of staffing was the most common reason for these added responsibilities, cited by 37% of respondents. Twenty-eight percent said the increase in work happened without discussion with management, and 17% said new responsibilities were initially described as temporary but became permanent.

Among those who involuntarily received new work responsibilities, 53% said they never received a raise or promotion. Service workers (56%) were the least likely to receive additional compensation or advancement after taking on new duties.

Nearly all workers “voluntold” to do additional work in recent years (91%) said these tasks fell outside their original job description, and most (55%) did not feel very qualified to perform them. Seventy-four percent said new assignments negatively affected their ability to perform existing responsibilities.

Forty percent of employees agreed with the statement, “I love my job, but I don’t feel like I can keep up with it anymore,” with Gen Z (55%) most likely to express this sentiment. Forty-one percent of workers reported experiencing burnout, resulting in job dissatisfaction (54%), worsened mental health (46%), and doubts about their ability to do their jobs well (32%). Service workers (41%) reported one of the highest levels of burnout, and 69% of baby boomers said they were the most dissatisfied due to work fatigue.

Forty percent of employees said they had considered leaving their jobs in the past three years because of increased responsibilities without adequate support.

Thirty-nine percent of respondents said their companies introduced artificial intelligence tools or automations in the past three years. Of those, 7% said AI tools decreased their workload, while 43% said their responsibilities increased with AI integration. Less than a third (31%) said AI made their work much more efficient.

Among workers using AI in their workflows, 72% received training on the tools, and 87% of those felt the training was adequate. Thirty-nine percent said they would save more time at work if they were taught to use AI tools by a human rather than through self-guided or automated training.

When asked what would help them most at work, 40% of millennials, 37% of Gen X, and 42% of baby boomers cited additional pay or recognition. Thirty-three percent of Gen Z respondents said better communication from management would improve their work experience.