How to prevent psychological harm caused by negative work demand

Employees can perceive work demand as a positive charge (i.e., manageable and rewarding) or a negative drain (i.e., overwhelming). It becomes a negative drain when they are consistently asked or expected to do excessive, taxing, unrealistic and stressful work.   

Coping with these demands can result in longer days, lack of home- and work-life balance, fatigue and conflict. Employees who experience this for prolonged periods will begin to feel overloaded and overworked. 

If negative work demand persists, it can result in emotional and cognitive exhaustion and can create an accumulative stress load resulting in psychological harm and possibly mental illness. 

What leaders can do to mitigate negative work demand and psychological harm

First, we must accept and understand that humans have capacity limits like machines. Setting an aggressive project timeline and pushing for completion within a few days, with a team’s support and buy-in, to achieve a defined goal can be a positive experience. It can be exhausting and still provide a sense of reward — if it is the exception. However, it shouldn’t occur on a regular and recurring basis where employees don’t see an end to pressure and feel they cannot keep up with the constant push and demands. 

If we arm ourselves with insights and start with the steps below, we can prevent this from happening and mitigate the impact of chronically draining work demand.

Be present and listen: If your employees see and trust that you care about their well-being, they will be more likely to share their experiences and concerns without fear or hesitation. You can show you care by paying attention to workload and regularly checking in to anticipate and address work demand issues before they become a problem.

Believe and inquire: When employees share concerns about work demands, take time to listen and understand the challenges they are facing. Typically, employees who report work demand concerns are not referring to an exceptional event. They are experiencing a pattern of behaviour and demand that occurs repeatedly and pushes capacity limits daily. Ask questions and gather information and insights to understand the risk and root causes (i.e., what has changed, what is driving them, how long this has been happening). 

Note whether it is in an individual or a group of employees experiencing issues. In some cases, an individual will raise concerns if they are not a fit for their job or are dealing with a challenging health issue. The same complaint from a group may indicate a systemic problem and require a work design adjustment. 

 Evaluate the situation using a job design lens: Examine work demand through a job design lens. Time demands to complete work should consider targets, peak times, and staffing levels. Constant pressure to complete work with unrealistic timelines can result in poor decision-making, like taking shortcuts that can risk a person’s safety. Work demand pressures can increase an individual’s emotional, cognitive, and physical strain, negatively impacting their experience and health. 

Include employees in problem-solving  and planning: Invite employees to provide opinions and options to address issues and mitigate risk. Listen to concerns and perceptions. Be open to suggestions and let employees know that their input will be considered, but listening doesn’t mean that you always agree with what is being shared. Let them know what the next steps will be. Managers may not have the authority to deal with some of the root causes of work demand concerns alone and may need to bring other managers, teams and/or senior leaders into the discussion. 

[See: Psychological Safety in Practice: A guidebook for managers]

Be mindful of the cost of doing nothing: When evaluating work demand options, be mindful of the costs and risk of doing nothing (i.e., high turnover and replacement costs). Ignoring work demand concerns and dismissing alternative approaches and options can negatively impact the organization’s performance and employees’ psychological well-being. The goal is to create a simple action plan of realistic controls that can be put in place. These may include changing how ad hoc work or projects are assigned and adjusting staffing levels to suit workload demand. 

Implement an action plan and monitor progress: Keep employees informed throughout the process. Share actions and remedies you are going to take to address their concerns regarding work design, and emotional, cognitive, and physical demands. 

Preventing negative work demand and protecting psychological safety is possible

In one workplace, many employees were spending four hours a week in unnecessary meetings, and there was a pattern of last-minute, ad hoc assignments given late in the day, often without clarity on deliverables, resulting in long days and early starts to get work done. Leaders used insights and input gathered from employees to address the problem.

Employees were coached and encouraged to take their lunch breaks, and managers were encouraged to role model this habit. Using a plan-do-check-act approach, leaders started using a three-item weekly pulse check on work demand to measure progress and a monthly check-in on how the action plan was working. By evaluating work demand using a  job design lens and listening to employees’ experiences and ideas leaders demonstrated that they cared about employee well-being and trust was built because employee concerns were taken seriously. 

Don’t wait for negative work demand to take its toll in your workplace

If you suspect negative work demand is an issue in your workplace, address this hazard as soon as possible. Assess individual team and employee workloads (e.g., percentage of time spent doing core, project, and ad hoc work) and pay close attention to your team's psychological safety and health. 

Taking steps to mitigate negative work demand can profoundly impact workplace culture, employee engagement and retention. It can reduce employee burnout, sleep disturbances, anxiety, fatigue, and lowered performance, absenteeism, disability claims and customer complaints.

Being proactive in managing work demand and showing your employees that you are committed to their well-being by displaying humility, empathy, and caring so they feel safe sharing their experiences without fear of retribution. 

[See: The Mental Health Roadmap Microsite]

Get to know the authors – Dr. Bill Howatt