ABOVE: Don't let this happen to you - overworking could make you less productive.

Presenteeism (employees coming into work when they should be off sick or on holiday) costs employers an estimated £15.1billion due to loss of efficiency. In short, office martyrs do not work smart.

So what motivates the office martyr? “Self-esteem lies at the heart of it, as there is this constant drive to trump a ‘personal best’ so that they can never be accused of failure,” believes Angela Baron, HR expert. For some, it also stems from the fact that work is fundamental to who they are. Dr Wong explains, “The identity of an office martyr is driven by career, so the validation they most understand is based on their work performance.” And this is self-perpetuating. The more we pander to it, the more it encourages them. “If even one person thinks they are indispensable, they have succeeded,” says Wong.

This doesn’t just affect the office martyr’s own psyche, it can have major consequences for the rest of the office too, says Baron. “They increase the stress levels of a team and make everyone think theirs is the only model for success. It can result in endless, and pointless, one-upmanship,” she warns.

The Tipping Point

If you fear you may risk falling into the office martyr trap, there are ways to prevent it. It’s all about making sure your input is appreciated, and your voice heard, in the smartest and subtlest ways, believes Thorne, “One way to stand out is make sure you’re ‘famous for something’. Be the person with an extra insight or area of expertise – for example, become a specialist in a new innovation in social media.”

Founder of my-wardrobe.com Sarah Curran advises avoiding the ‘Me! Me! Me!’ approach. “It’s not about always being the star or the first and last in the office – I often put that down to bad time management. It’s about delivering for the business and the team.” If you are still worried your boss isn’t aware of your work, ask someone senior to be your mentor, advises Naomi Climer, vice president of Sony Europe. “You’ll get an ‘outsider’s’ view on your role and it’s another person who knows what you’re capable of.” Dr Nathan Anthony of The Insight Network believes assessing your life outside the office will help too. “Ask yourself why you feel the need to prove your worth and begin to build rewards outside of the workplace so you don’t solely crave attention and accolades there.” So maybe it’s time to leave your desk before 9pm and have that glassof wine with your best friend. Your colleagues – and your boss – might well thank you for it.

ARE YOU THE OFFICE MARTYR?

Answer yes or no to these questions, devised by Dr Nathan Anthony from The Insight Network, to see where you are on the office martyr scale:

I reply to non-urgent emails after work, at weekends or on holiday.
I cannot work late without telling at least one colleague about it.
I’m less productive during the day because I’m tired from working late.
I feel a lot of workplace pressure to prove myself indispensable.
I need constant positive feedback in order to get on with my job.
I sometimes feel that imperfections in my colleagues’ work can reflect badly on me.
There are incidents in my past – either in an old job or at school – where I feel I’ve been overlooked or treated dismissively.
I feel lost when I’m not ‘busy’ all the time.
I feel I am under constant pressure to take on more work.
I sometimes feel excluded or dismissed at work.

HOW DID YOU SCORE?

0-3: “You’re just a normal, slightly overworked person who cares about their job and what people think about you,” says Dr Anthony.

4-6: “You might be somewhere between workaholic and office martyr or you might just be having a really tough time at work. Take steps to assert yourself in the right way and try and be more aware of your actions in the workplace.”

7-10:“It might be hard to admit, but you could be an office martyr. It’s not necessarily your fault – it’s easy to fall into the trap. Just try to work out what’s missing from your personal life and what steps you can take to change your behaviour for yourself and those around you.”

Words: Amy Grier

Picture credits: Rex Features

Are you an office martyr - or do you know one at work? Share your stories of martyrdom in the comments below, or let us know on twitter @StylistMagazine.

Are you the office Martyr?