(Photo Courtesy of Chris Gilbert via stock.xchng.)

That 12-hour workday is bad for the balance in your life, sure. But it will pay off eventually, right?

Maybe not.

“Working long hours is actually really, really bad for your career,” says Brandon Smith, a career coach who teaches about leadership, communication and workplace culture at Georgia State and Emory universities.

Smith says it may indicate to your bosses that you’re maxed out and they can’t promote you.

“You really don’t have more capacity. It’s not like they can give you more responsibility,” Smith says. “I know some companies that, if they find their ‘high potentials’ – the people they want to promote – working too much, they’ll tell them, ‘you have got to find ways to get that off your plate because we cannot give you more [work].’”

More on the limitations you may be unintentionally imposing on yourself with long workdays (and how you can get it under control) on this week’s Working on GPB Radio.

Click here ask Brandon a question about your job or career. We might answer you on the air.