The ‘Effort Recession’ Is Here: Why Indian Employees No Longer Want To Go The Extra Mile | Relationship News
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A new Great Place To Work India report finds that while offices have become more employee-friendly, fewer people are willing to stay late or take on extra work.
The ‘Effort Recession’ Is Here: Why Indian Employees No Longer Want To Go The Extra Mile
For a very long time, companies believed they had cracked the code to ‘happier’ employees. The regular package included offering flexible work hours, improving what we call ‘office culture’, introducing wellness programmes, organising team outings, etc. And for a while, it worked too. To an extent. And as research shows, employees today are happier with their workplace than they were a few years ago. But there’s one thing they’re increasingly unwilling to do: go the extra mile.
A new Great Place To Work India 2026 report has put a name to this growing workplace trend—”effort recession.” The research explains the term in simple words: employees are becoming less willing to put in extra effort that isn’t part of their job description. Staying back after work to finish a project, stepping in to solve a problem outside their role or volunteering for additional responsibilities are all becoming less common.
The report surveyed 380 organisations across India and found that 63% of them had seen a decline in employees’ willingness to go above and beyond over the past year. On average, discretionary effort dropped by 5%, continuing a trend that has been building since 2023.
What’s surprising is that this isn’t happening because workplaces have become worse. In fact, the opposite is true. Many companies have invested heavily in making work more enjoyable. Offices now offer better benefits, stronger employee support, flexible policies and a greater focus on workplace wellbeing than ever before.
But while employees appreciate these changes, they no longer see perks as a reason to stretch themselves.
The biggest drop has been reported in the IT sector, where discretionary effort fell by 6%. Professional Services followed with a 5% decline, while Construction, Infrastructure and Real Estate recorded a 4% drop. Manufacturing was one of the few sectors that largely managed to maintain employee motivation.
What Changed For Employees?
According to the report, employees today are looking for something deeper than free snacks, game rooms or hybrid work. They want to feel that their work matters. As per the report, recognition, trust, meaningful feedback and leaders who genuinely listen have become far more important than office perks. When employees don’t feel valued or connected to a larger purpose, they’re less likely to volunteer for extra work, even if they’re otherwise satisfied with their jobs.
The report also points to leadership as the biggest differentiator.
Companies where employees feel inspired and cared for by their leaders continue to report stronger retention, better customer service, higher agility and greater willingness among staff to put in discretionary effort.
As artificial intelligence takes over more routine tasks, the report argues that the human side of work is becoming even more important. Employees may still enjoy a good office environment, but they’re increasingly asking a different question before putting in extra effort: Is it actually worth it?
About the Author
Mallika Bhagat is a Deputy News Editor at News18, where she leads the Lifestyle and Viral desks. A seasoned journalist and content strategist, she brings a decade of high-impact experience from India’…Read More
