Written By Cari Borden

Let’s talk about the collective guilt trip disguised as “dedication.”

If your team is hesitating to log off at 5:00 PM (or whatever their actual end time is) because they’re worried it’ll look bad, you don’t have a productivity boost on your hands. You’ve got a culture crisis brewing.

You might think you’ve built a high-performing, go-the-extra-mile kind of team.
But if that “extra mile” is paved with anxiety, silence, and the sound of Teams notifications at 9:42 PM?
You’re not nurturing commitment.
You’re manufacturing burnout.

---

🚩 Red Flags: Signs You’re In a “Commitment Crisis” (Not a Culture of Care)

• The Teams Shuffle: People wait to see who logs off first. No one wants to be “that guy.”
• Vacation Vibes? What Are Those?: PTO is treated like a moral failing. “Wow, must be nice.”
• Unspoken Badge of Honor: Emails at midnight. “Just catching up.” (Read: Please validate my exhaustion.)
• Meetings = Performance Reviews: Every meeting feels like an unannounced pop quiz on your “dedication.”
• Guilt-Induced Hustling: “I just need to finish one more thing…” becomes a daily mantra.

---

🤯 Let’s Call It What It Is: Long-Term Workplace Trauma

People who fear disconnecting aren’t loyal.
They’re conditioned.

This is the kind of corporate Stockholm Syndrome that takes years to unwind.
And the worst part?
Many don’t even realize they’re in it.

---

😂 Now For Some Humor (Because Coping is a Skillset)

Let’s play a quick game:

Committed or Cursed?

Statement	Verdict
“I love this job. I haven’t seen sunlight since March.”	😬 Cursed
“My manager tells me to rest but cc’s me on Saturday emails.”	🧨 Crisis
“I set boundaries and my team still trusts me.”	🙌 Committed
“Logging off on time gives me anxiety sweats.”	🚩 Trauma
“I delegate, I rest, and the world doesn’t end.”	✅ Healthy

---

🛠 Tips to Get Out of the Crisis (Without Setting the Building on Fire)

1. Model the Log-Off Life
   • If you’re in leadership and say “It’s okay to disconnect,” then actually disconnect.
   • Nobody believes a fire drill if you’re standing in the building smiling.
2. Normalize Boundaries
   • Start meetings with, “No one here gets a trophy for skipping lunch.”
   • Celebrate team wins and team wellness.
3. Audit Your After-Hours Culture
   • Are you sending late-night emails with “no rush”?
     Newsflash: That’s still pressure in a power suit.
4. Create Commitments, Not Codependency
   • Help your team understand that real commitment shows up in consistency, not collapse.
5. Rebuild the Trust Bridge
   • Guilt is not a motivator; it’s a warning sign.
   • Open dialogue, anonymous surveys, and yes, therapy-level honesty, are required to fix the emotional smog.

---

🧘‍♀️ Final Thoughts:

If people feel guilty for taking care of themselves, the workplace isn’t healthy, it’s haunted.
And haunted teams don’t build legacy, they just survive.

It’s time to let go of guilt as a productivity metric.
Commitment isn’t staying late.
It’s showing up fully, well-rested, respected, and unafraid.

---

🎯 Call to Action:

Tired of guilt trips disguised as performance reviews?
Let’s unlearn the hustle cult together.
Book me for a workshop, a consult, or grab a guilt-free guide to restoring real workplace boundaries on Fiverr.

Because no one should need therapy because of their timecard.