A fresh look at working life in the UAE points to a widespread pattern of employees quietly absorbing duties that were never part of their original job description. According to research from global talent solutions firm Robert Walters, 79 per cent of professionals in the country reported that their positions had grown beyond their agreed scope during the previous year — often without a raise, a step up the ladder, or any formal acknowledgment. Gulf News reported on the study, which the firm titled “Shadow Workloads,” a term it uses for the duties that pile up unnoticed over time.
Technology sits at the center of how workers are managing the strain. Roughly three-quarters of respondents, or 73 per cent, said they lean on AI tools to handle assignments that would otherwise be out of reach for them. The report drew a connection to a recent Harvard Business Review analysis, which observed that when staff at a US technology company began adopting AI, their range of duties widened, their tempo quickened, and their hours stretched — a phenomenon the study labeled “workload creep.”
Andrew Powell, Chief Commercial Officer at Robert Walters, framed the trend against a backdrop of tight budgets and lean teams. “Many organisations are navigating a tough operating environment right now, facing ongoing cost pressures and the need to deliver more with fewer resources,” he said. He noted that shifting responsibilities are normal, but complications surface when the changes go unrecognized. “When that shift happens without clear visibility or formal recognition, it can create ‘shadow workloads’ – where additional responsibilities build up informally over time.”
On the technology question, Powell saw genuine upside but urged caution in how tools are rolled out. “AI is already proving to be a powerful tool for boosting productivity and helping employees step into new areas more quickly.” He cautioned, though, that “the challenge is ensuring it’s implemented in a way that genuinely reduces pressure rather than simply raising expectations.”
How workers cope with the added load varies. Close to half — 49 per cent — said they are simply putting in more hours, and a quarter, 25 per cent, said they hand off tasks when they can. Yet the tendency to stay silent runs deep: just 17 per cent said they had raised the matter of their expanding duties with a manager.
Oli Sanford-Scutt, Senior Director at Robert Walters Middle East, tied the pattern to the speed of local business. “The UAE’s business environment moves fast, and organisations have had to adapt quickly, but that pace of change means additional responsibilities can accumulate before anyone has had a chance to address them,” he said. He cautioned that unaddressed pressure can quietly become the norm, opening the door to burnout and weaker output. On the technology front, he added that the country’s fast uptake of AI hands companies an edge while quietly lifting what is asked of staff. “When AI enables people to take on tasks beyond their usual remit, expectations can shift without anyone explicitly saying so.”
The study also surfaced a toll it describes as a “competence hangover” — the mental haze, exhaustion, and emotional drain that settle in after stretches of sustained high output. That experience is common: 43 per cent said they feel it regularly, and a further 31 per cent said it comes and goes.
Powell argued that stretching into new territory can serve both sides of the employment relationship, provided the effort is handled well. “If that effort isn’t recognised or managed effectively, it can lead to fatigue and diminishing returns, impacting everything from decision-making to overall productivity.” His prescription for employers is to pinpoint where duties are swelling and act on it — by spreading work more evenly, upgrading tools, or drafting in short-term help when the situation calls for it.
