There was a time when the first person to arrive at the office and the last one to leave was often considered the ideal employee. Missing family dinners to finish presentations, replying to emails close to midnight, and saying “yes” to every additional task were celebrated as signs of commitment. The unwritten rule was simple: the harder you looked like you were working, the more dedicated you appeared.But that workplace script is being rewritten. A growing number of young professionals are questioning whether long hours automatically translate into better work. They are asking uncomfortable questions that previous generations rarely voiced. Is staying late really productive? Should loyalty come at the cost of mental health? Does working harder always mean working better?The answers are changing, and so is the workplace. A new Great Place To Work India 2026 study has put a name to this transformation: “effort recession.” Far from being just another corporate buzzword, it captures a significant shift in how employees, particularly Gen Z, perceive work, success, and commitment.
What exactly is an ‘effort recession’?
According to the report, discretionary effort is referred to as the kind of work done by employees without any compulsion, in addition to the work they are expected to do. It can be demonstrated through actions such as working overtime to solve a problem or helping colleagues voluntarily.In other words, it is the difference between doing your job and going the extra mile. According to the study, this extra effort is becoming less common.Among 380 Indian organisations surveyed, 63 percent (240 companies) reported a decline in discretionary effort compared with the previous year, with the average drop standing at 5 percent.At first glance, the numbers may suggest employees are becoming less committed. But workplace experts argue that the reality is far more nuanced.
Gen Z isn’t avoiding work, it is redefining it
Today’s youngest workforce entered employment during an era shaped by pandemics, rapid digital transformation, rising conversations around mental health and, more recently, artificial intelligence.Unlike previous generations, many Gen Z professionals have grown up watching burnout become almost a badge of honour. They have also witnessed employees lose jobs despite years of unquestioned loyalty. That experience has changed what they value.The report notes that Gen Z now makes up 26 percent of India’s workforce, almost doubling its share since 2023. Rather than measuring success through long working hours, this generation increasingly prioritises flexibility, career growth, continuous learning, meaningful work, and psychological wellbeing. To many of them, commitment is measured by outcomes, not by visibility.Employees increasingly want to be evaluated on the value they generate rather than the number of hours they spend at their desks. The emphasis is moving from presence to performance.
AI has changed the productivity equation
The development of artificial intelligence has contributed an extra dimension to the revolution of the workplace. A lot of the repetitive and administrative work that used to take hours can now be done within a few minutes with the help of tools based on artificial intelligence.For the young professionals in the business world, this shifts the entire equation. Why waste time on something that technology can do for you? In this way, young workers are shifting their focus to things that machines can’t easily do for them.
Burnout has altered the conversation
Another reason behind the effort recession is the growing awareness of burnout. Remote and hybrid work blurred the boundaries between professional and personal life. Work followed employees home through laptops and smartphones, making it harder to disconnect.As conversations around stress, anxiety, and mental health became more mainstream, many employees began questioning whether constant overwork was sustainable.Employees today are asking questions that earlier generations often ignored:
- Does this work matter?
- Am I being recognised?
- Does my organisation genuinely care about my well-being?
- Will this additional effort contribute to meaningful growth?
The answers determine whether employees choose to go beyond their formal responsibilities.
A wake-up call, not a crisis
It is tempting to interpret the effort recession as evidence that employees no longer want to work hard.But that may be the wrong conclusion.Instead, it appears to signal the end of a workplace culture that rewarded endless availability more than meaningful contribution.For decades, organisations expected employees to continuously stretch themselves, often without corresponding recognition or support. Today’s workforce is questioning that bargain.The challenge for employers is no longer persuading employees to work longer. It is creating workplaces where people genuinely want to contribute beyond what is required.In the end, the effort recession may not be about declining ambition at all.And perhaps this is simply a wake-up call to the realization that excellence cannot be continually demanded but has to be earned through building trust and having purpose, empathy, and leadership. As we head into the future and work and artificial intelligence evolve, those who understand this concept will most certainly set up a more productive and sustainable environment for themselves.
