Work pressure arises when an employee is unable to meet the demands placed on them by their work. For example, when an employee has too little time to complete their work or is unable to achieve the desired result. Especially when an employee is unable to change this situation themselves, work pressure can quickly become excessive.
Balance
In order to function properly, there must be a good balance between the workload and the employee's work capacity. If that balance is lost, the work pressure becomes too high. The employee then runs the risk of suffering from work stress.
Work pressure falls under the category of psychosocial workload. Work pressure can lead to stress and absenteeism and ultimately to long-term sick leave and possibly even incapacity for work. Employees who have to deal with excessive work pressure for a long time not only become stressed, but also demotivated. If they take sick leave, the step back to work is even more difficult. This is especially true when the employee is overworked or has burnout. This is a very unpleasant situation for the employee. And it costs you, the employer, a lot of money.
What can you do about excessive work pressure?
As an employer, you must establish a policy to combat (long-term) excessive work pressure. This is required under the Working Conditions Act (Arbowet). If you fail to do so, the Netherlands Labour Authority may take measures. Ultimately, you could even face heavy fines.
You develop policies against excessive work pressure on the basis of the Risk Inventory & Evaluation (RI&E), in which you describe the situations in which your employees may experience long-term excessive work pressure.
If this shows that work pressure poses a real risk, you as an employer must take the following steps:
- You commission an in-depth investigation into work pressure.
- You analyse the results.
- You identify the bottlenecks.
- You choose effective measures.
- You include these measures in an action plan.
- You implement these measures.
- You evaluate the measures. If it appears that the work pressure is not yet adequately controlled, you repeat this policy cycle.
Question and answer
Work pressure occurs when the demands that the work places on an employee are not in balance with that employee's work capacity.
Excessive work pressure arises when there is too little time to complete the work, when the employee has too little say, or when it is unclear what is expected of the employee. Circumstances can also cause work pressure. For example, uncertainty about the future, conflicts within the organisation, or if an employee does not get enough breaks.
- Excessive work pressure can lead to health problems and even burnout or depression.
- Excessive work pressure makes employees less creative and productive, and increases the risk of errors and accidents.
- In an organisation where the work pressure is structurally excessive, labour productivity declines and absenteeism increases. Excessive work pressure can therefore cost employers a lot of money.
With the work pressure and undesirable behaviour self-inspection tool, employers can check whether their organisation meets the requirements set by the Netherlands Labour Authority.
Work pressure self-inspection
Are you doing enough to combat excessive work pressure? Use the Work pressure and undesirable behaviour self-inspection tool. Go to self-inspection: work pressure and undesirable behaviour (Dutch).