What is 'busy bragging' and why is this term considered toxic at a workplace? 

Does your co-worker always complain about how much they are piled up with their work? Well, there's a new term for them known as stress-bragging or busy bragging.

What is Busy bragging?

Busy bragging is the phenomenon where your colleagues continuously complain or brag about being preoccupied with their work schedule or tasks. A study published in the journal Personnel Psychology found that employees who frequently boast about their stress levels are perceived as less competent and less likable by their colleagues. However, recent research reveals that this behaviour might be more damaging than beneficial.

The research, led by Jessica Rodell, a management professor at the University of Georgia, sought to examine the impact of stress-bragging in the workplace. Rodell and her team conducted an experiment involving 360 participants who were asked to assess statements from hypothetical colleagues returning from a conference. Some colleagues expressed enjoyment, while others, known as busy braggers, complained about how the conference added to their already overwhelming workload.

"This is a behaviour we've all seen, and we all might be guilty of at some point," said Rodell. "When I was wondering about why people do this, I thought maybe we are talking about our stress because we want to prove we're good enough. We found out that often backfires."

"People are harming themselves by doing this thing they think is going to make them look better to their colleagues," Rodell said.

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