Punishing Competence: How Overloading Top Performers Backfires

You know the type: the one who always comes through in a crunch. Who spots the problem before it becomes a full-blown crisis. Who meets the deadline and brings fresh ideas to the table. The one who doesn’t just get the job done, they do it with grace, speed and excellence.

So, naturally… we give them more work!

It’s often unintentional. Maybe it’s justified in the moment. But over time, this pattern of disproportionately heavy reliance on high performers can become an unhealthy (and unspoken) part of workplace culture: one that rewards capability with a heavier burden. And this approach is, unfortunately, more common than most organizations realize.

So let’s dive into what this looks like in practice, why it’s problematic and how to actually recognize your star employees without driving them out the door.

What Do You Mean, “Punishing Competence”?

Punishing competence happens when high-performing employees are regularly asked to take on more because they’re so reliable. It can look like:

• Assigning urgent or high-stakes tasks to the same people again and again

• Increasing their workload because “they’ll do it right the first time”

• Skipping support or training for others and relying on one person to “fix it later”

• Assuming they don’t need time off, praise or boundaries because they’re so capable

• Asking or expecting additional tasks to be completed by a particular person/people because you know they won’t say no

While it might seem logical in a fast-paced workplace, here’s the problem: if someone’s consistently excellent, they shouldn’t be punished for it. They should be supported, appreciated and given what they need in order to stay excellent.

Why It’s a Problem (Even If They Haven’t Said Anything)

The people being overloaded usually don’t complain… which is exactly why this pattern is so easy to miss. But silence isn’t satisfaction.

1. It leads to burnout… fast

No matter how competent someone is, they’re not a machine. Being the default “fixer” creates emotional exhaustion, decision fatigue and eventually resentment.

2. It drives disengagement

When effort leads to more pressure instead of meaningful recognition, people check out. Productivity might stay high (for a while) but passion disappears.

3. It increases turnover

The employees you trust the most are often the ones quietly planning their exit. Not because they can’t handle the pressure, but because they’re tired of being the only ones expected to.

4. It creates imbalance and resentment

When other team members see the same few people carrying the weight, they may lose motivation… or worse, develop a mindset that they don’t have to step up because someone else always will. Believe me, inequities in the workplace are noticed by everyone.

5. It becomes cultural

Left unchecked, this turns into an invisible policy: “If you’re good, we’ll work you harder.” That’s not a performance culture, that’s a retention risk.

How to Stop Punishing Competence (And Start Supporting It)

Fixing this starts with awareness, but it doesn’t end there. Leaders have to be intentional about building systems that support excellence without exploiting it.

1. Monitor and balance workloads

Don't assume the work is evenly spread just because job titles are the same. Use check-ins, capacity planning tools or even simple workload audits to see who’s quietly carrying more than their share.

2. Build up your bench

Instead of defaulting to the same high performers, invest in developing other employees to share the responsibility. Mentorship, shadowing and cross-training can help spread the weight and reduce dependency on one person.

3. Reward without overloading

Want to recognize great performance? Great. Just make sure it doesn’t come with strings attached. Celebrate contributions with bonuses, surprise days off, meaningful words and tokens of appreciation… not another assignment.

4. Normalize boundaries

High performers need (and deserve) to say no. Create a culture where it’s safe to say “I’m at capacity” or “I need support,” without fear of looking uncommitted.

Pro tip: If your hardest workers are the least likely to use vacation time that’s a red flag, not a badge of honour.

Unlimited PTO: Great Idea or Burnout in Disguise?

One approach gaining popularity is Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO). In theory, it’s a dream: take what you need, when you need it. No accruals, no carry-overs, just trust and flexibility.

But in reality, many employees in unlimited PTO cultures take less time off than those with set vacation banks.

Why? Because the culture doesn’t actually support taking time away.

If you’re considering unlimited PTO as a burnout prevention tool (especially for high performers), make sure:

• Managers model time off themselves

• Minimum vacation guidelines are set and tracked

• Employees don’t feel they have to "earn" rest by going above and beyond first

• You actively encourage breaks after crunch periods

Remember, the policy is only as healthy as the culture that surrounds it.

What to Recognize (Hint: It’s Not Just Doing More)

In many workplaces, recognition is tied to volume: how much someone produces, how quickly they do it, how often they step up. But real value isn’t just about doing more, it’s about the impact someone makes.

Start recognizing:

• The teammate who creates systems that make life easier for others

• The leader who mentors junior staff and builds team confidence

• The employee who’s not afraid to question whether something a task or process could be done differently

These forms of excellence often go unseen, but they’re the backbone of sustainable, healthy success.

The Bottom Line

Being great at your job should never feel like a punishment.

If high performance is met with relentless pressure, unrealistic expectations and little opportunity to rest or grow, your top talent won’t stick around forever… even if they never complain.

Supporting high performers means recognizing their contributions without overloading them. It means building teams where success is sustainable, not exhausting. It means creating cultures where excellence is encouraged, not exploited.

Being capable shouldn’t come at the cost of being well.

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Elizabeth Eldridge is a Psychological Health & Safety Consultant based in southern New Brunswick, Canada. In addition to keynote speaking and corporate training on mental health in the workplace, she supports organizations across the country on the adoption of Canada's best practice guidelines on psychological health and safety management. She is the Founder & President of Arpeggio Health Services which provides standardized education programs like Mental Health First Aid, The Working Mind, QPR Suicide Prevention and more.

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