Work pressure occurs when you cannot finish your work within the set time or cannot meet the set requirements and have insufficient opportunities to solve this yourself. Occasionally if the workload is (too) high this does not have to be a problem. If it occurs frequent or structurally it is. Working under too low a workload or at too low a work pace is also undesirable; The days last forever when someone has nothing or little to do. And when work comes, it is actually too much right away. The extent to which someone experiences work pressure is determined by the combination of characteristics of the work and the person.
Excessive workload is caused, for example, by:
- too little time for an assignment
- higher quality requirements for the work than can be achieved
- work that does not match the level of education or experience
- more complex tasks than those for which resources are available
- Responsibilities that are too heavy
- too few opportunities to organize the work
Too low a workload is caused, for example, by:
- Too little challenge, when the work is too easy
- too much time for too little work
- Monotonous work
- Little prospect of growth
- not having the opportunity to make optimal use of knowledge and skills
Circumstances can also cause work pressure. Examples are:
- Technical defects
- low social support from the manager
- conflicts with the manager, other employees or patients
- Reorganisations that cause job insecurity
- Unclear job description
- demanding customers
- too few breaks/holidays
- High task demands
- High emotional strain at work
Work is not always the direct cause. The personal situation can also cause an increased workload:
- Difficult to say 'no' to work
- being very perfectionist
- situations at home that demand a lot of attention
- low self-confidence
- little resilience
- Strong learning orientation
- Dissatisfaction with the work-life balance
See also Occupational Health and Safety Portal for more information.
Work pressure can lead to work stress. This causes psychological or physical complaints.
Psychological complaints:
- fatigue
- insomnia
- Sadness/depression
- worrying
- excessive alcohol/medication use
- change in eating behavior
- overstressed
- burnout
- aggression
Physical complaints:
- Increased blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- headache
- vertigo
- hyperventilation
- complaints of the arm, neck, shoulder (RSI)
- Reduced resistance