Abstract Research on supplemental work has yielded mixed findings, linking it to both ill-being (e.g., exhaustion and recovery impairments) and potential benefits (e.g., increased performance and psychological detachment). What remains unclear are the processes that elicit supplemental work and how it affects ill-being. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), we develop a dynamic spillover framework that positions supplemental work as a behavior elicited by basic psychological need frustration (NF) in the work domain. We propose that supplemental work carries costs by increasing NF in the non-work domain, thereby disrupting cross-domain need balance and ultimately increasing next-day exhaustion at work. Results from an experience sampling study (141 employees, 2440 observations) supported our hypotheses: within-person increases in work overload predicted subsequent NF in the work domain and supplemental work. Competence frustration, in particular, triggered subsequent supplemental work that was associated with increased NF in the non-work domain and higher next-day exhaustion. These findings add to the notion of a detrimental pathway of supplemental work and highlight the importance of dynamic, cross-domain need frustration processes in understanding its consequences for employee well-being.
Baierer et al. (Thu,) studied this question.