Demands: getting the balance right
Most employees need a certain amount of challenge and pressure in their work – it keeps them motivated and gives them a sense of ambition. However, when does this pressure become stressful rather than stimulating?
Employees can feel overloaded by both the:
• amount of work they are asked to do: they simply cannot do the work in the allotted time • difficulty of the work they are asked to do: they are not capable of carrying out the work
Each individual is different and only by talking to employees can employers get the balance right between challenging demands and stressful demands. Also, circumstances change – at work and at home – so employers need to maintain the communication.
Employers need to consider three issues when weighing up the demands placed on their employees:
• the way the job is designed – in terms of its specific goals, overall importance and the structure of the work-flow • the personal abilities of an individual and the level of training needed to carry out specific tasks • flexible working – would the introduction of more flexible working hours help manage the demands on employees?