Empathising with co-workers is ‘draining’

A new study has revealed that empathising with work colleagues can result in feeling drained on the job and in need of more recovery after work.

The report, undertaken by Dr Wladislaw Rivkin, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour at Trinity Business School, looked at how perspective-taking at work affects both the person doing it and the person they’re trying to understand.

The study found that when an employee tried to understand their co-worker’s perspective, it had a positive effect on that co-worker – leaving them feeling supported.

However, it had a negative impact on the well-being of the employee who took their co-workers’ perspective, leaving them feeling drained and depleted of their own resources.

Reflecting on the study, Dr Rivkin said, “Stepping into your co-worker’s shoes by viewing work-related challenges from their perspective is definitely helpful for our colleagues.

“To ensure that it doesn’t harm our own well-being, it is important to consider our mental resources and engage in perspective taking only when we feel energised.”

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