More than half of US workers surveyed, 65%, feel empowered to decline additional work, according to survey results released Jan. 9 by Resume Now, a career and résumé service provider.

It found younger workers, those aged 25 and under, reported the highest levels of empowerment at 77%, followed by workers aged 41 and older at 66% and workers aged 26 to 40 at 56%.

Younger workers also reported higher frustration levels and difficulty managing workloads than older colleagues.

Gender differences emerged, with 69% of men feeling comfortable setting boundaries, compared to 62% of women. However, the survey noted that women were more likely to assess situations before declining additional work.

Burnout and mental health challenges remain widespread: 59% of workers frequently experienced burnout from difficulty in saying no to extra tasks.

While 52% of workers reported occasional interference with personal or family time due to accepting extra work, 12% said the interference was constant.

The survey includes responses from 1,160 US workers. It was conducted on Dec. 3, 2024.