New study warns against 'busy bragging' culture in the workplace

We’ve all heard the refrains. From the colleague that says they’re so swamped they can’t remember the last time they had a lunch break, the manager who shares that they were in the office until midnight, and the teammate who hasn’t taken a vacation in years.

‘Busy bragging’ and ‘stress bragging’ may be new terms in our lexicon but the schtick is a well-worn trope. Maybe you’ve even been guilty of this in the past? Or perhaps you’re a regular stress bragger?

Both these terms refer to the practice of routinely blustering about one’s workload or level of busyness in order to project importance, dedication and productivity.

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Its underlying goal is to convey an air of indispensability and diligence, as it seeks to elicit respect or affirmation from superiors and coworkers.

However, anecdotally, the unintended consequence is that it highlights just how little the busy bragger is able to push back on unrealistic demands, and it’s also indicative of poor time management.

In more tangible evidence, according to a 2024 study published in Personnel Psychology, stress bragging typically has a detrimental impact on relationships amongst coworkers, and the report also substantiates those anecdotal observations too.

Resoundingly negative implications

Its authors outline their findings across two studies: “In a combination of a lab experiment (Study 1) and a multi-source field study (Study 2), we show that stress bragging has resoundingly negative implications for braggarts as they are evaluated as less competent and less warm by coworkers, reducing their receipt of citizenship behaviors. Additionally, in Study 2, we find that coworkers of stress braggarts also suffer by experiencing higher levels of burnout due to enhanced stress crossover effects.”

So not only are braggers perceived as less competent – particularly if they have high input but are not achieving proportional outcomes – but more importantly, they also stress their coworkers out.

In addition to having low warmth, busy braggers were also found to be less likable. As they are generally focused on their own workload and achievements, rather than the team’s, braggarts are not seen as team players, despite their self-proclaimed dedication to the organization's cause.

These individuals may also unintentionally reduce or minimize the work and challenges of their colleagues by constantly focusing on how busy they are, and hogging assignments.

As it’s weary and irritating to listen to a coworker brag constantly, over time it’s only natural that those around braggarts become disengaged and less sympathetic to their situation. As a result, researchers found that coworkers are less likely to help busy braggers, as they begin to believe their stress is self-inflicted. This reduces team morale and affects the general atmosphere.

Stress spreads

The researchers found that coworkers who listen to busy bragging frequently feel pressured, and are more likely to experience burnout themselves.

Braggers establish the idea that overworking is normal, which can lead to pressure as coworkers feel the need to match a particular level of busyness.

If a bragger is especially dominant, they can begin or fuel a workplace culture that normalizes putting in long hours, even if it’s at the expense of worker wellbeing and if actual results don’t increase.

Overall, persistent bragging and overwork affects the morale and positive dynamics of a team, and influences the culture of the broader workplace.

If you work with a busy bragger it’s important to establish and maintain healthy boundaries. Set your own personal time limit, and politely limit the duration of discussions with this colleague. Don’t let yourself get bogged down with their gripes.

If you do get collared, suggest a healthier approach. And that healthier approach is always for them to discuss their workload and deadlines with their manager. If you keep banging the same drum and show low engagement, they’ll be less likely to bother you in future.

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Another strategy is to redirect the conversation away from work, though this is best for water cooler conversations, rather than in actual meetings. Talk about Labor Day plans or a recent TV show or book you’re obsessed with, and they should struggle to bring it back to workload complaining.

If you’re quite a direct person, you may feel comfortable expressing that constant stress talk affects team morale, or you can use “I” statements and share how stress bragging impacts you personally.

A stress bragger’s goals might be to appear busy and important, but you can always take actions to ensure that you personally maintain a productive work environment, and don’t feed into the culture of glorifying overwork.

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