The demands of a job, when excessively high or inappropriately low, can present a substantial risk to employees’ psychological health. Whether employees are pushed to breaking point by excessive workloads or left disengaged by insufficient tasks, both high and low job demands pose serious threats to mental health and organisational performance.

In Australia, work overload remains one of the most frequently reported concerns, highlighting the urgent need for workplaces to understand and manage this hazard more effectively.

What is high job demand?

High job demand occurs when an employee’s workload involves a high level of physical, mental, or emotional demand, or is excessive, unreasonable, or beyond the worker’s capacity. This demand can increase the risk of stress and burnout.

Some examples of high job demand include:

• Time pressure: working long hours or without sufficient breaks, unreasonable deadlines for work tasks, or being pressured to complete work tasks outside of work hours or while on leave.
• Physically tiring tasks: Consistently lifting heavy boxes or digging trenches for long periods of time.
• Not receiving the right skills or training for the task (e.g. junior workers being given complex tasks above their skill level).
• Not having systems to prevent individual errors, particularly when they may have high consequences (e.g. expecting workers to memorise complex processes and not providing written prompts).
• Exposure to aggression, violence, harassment, or bullying.
• Requirements to support people in distress without the proper training or processes to manage the potential emotional impacts.

What is low job demand?

On the opposite end of the spectrum, when an employee’s workload involves sustained low levels of physical, mental, or emotional effort, it can lead to decreased motivation, disengagement, boredom, reduced skill development, lower job satisfaction, and, over time, mental health issues such as stress or depression.

Some examples of low job demand include:

• Long idle periods, particularly if workers cannot do other tasks (e.g. being required to wait for necessary tools).
• Highly monotonous or repetitive tasks (e.g. packing products or monitoring production lines).
• Not being given the opportunity to maintain skills (e.g. A lack of role-specific tasks to maintain competency).

Both high and low job demands become a hazard when they are prolonged, severe, or frequent, posing significant risks to employees’ health and wellbeing.

How to identify psychosocial risks associated with high or low job demands

WorkSafe Australia recommends applying the standard Workplace Health and Safety risk management approach to identify if psychosocial hazards, including high and low job demands, are present in the workplace.

 Step 1: Identify the hazard 

• Identify the presence of high and/or low job demands.
• Assess the work tasks, how they are carried out and the way work is designed and managed.
• Consult with workers and supervisors to build an understanding of employees’ experiences.

 Step 2: Assess the risks

• Determine how often high or low job demands occur and the severity of potential impacts such as stress, fatigue, burnout, reduced performance, disengagement, or increased error rates.
• Identify the workers most at risk (e.g. New employees, lone workers, inexperienced staff, those in high pressure roles).

Step 3: Control the risks

Apply the hierarchy of controls:

• Eliminate: Remove unnecessary tasks, redistribute workloads, or redesign tasks to prevent chronic overload or underload.
• Substitute: Replace high-pressure processes with more efficient systems or replace low-demand tasks with more varied, meaningful work.
• Isolate: Adjust work allocation or scheduling to minimise peak-load exposure.
• Administrative controls: Provide clear role expectations, ensure adequate breaks, adjust staffing levels, set realistic deadlines, and rotate tasks to balance demands.
• PPE (where applicable): While PPE is rarely relevant for psychosocial hazards, some environments may benefit from tools that reduce cognitive load (e.g. workflow software or communication aids).

Step 4: Review controls 

• Monitor effectiveness over time: assess whether workloads, task design, and staffing remain appropriate as work demands evolve.
• Update controls as conditions change: adjust strategies when new projects, organisational changes, peak seasons, or changes in technology alter job demands.

How to eliminate or minimise risks identified in the workplace

Once high or low job demands are identified, workplaces should take action in line with Workplace Health and Safety risk management requirements to eliminate or minimise psychosocial hazards so far as is reasonably practicable.

This begins with implementing controls wherever possible such as:

• Redesigning roles,
• adjusting staffing and resourcing levels,
• reviewing workload allocation,
• improving work processes to prevent excessive or insufficient demands, and
• planning non-urgent work for quieter periods.

If these measures are not reasonably practicable, workplaces can introduce administrative controls including:

• Clearer role definitions,
• improved scheduling,
• task rotation, or
• enhanced supervision to ensure risks remain as low as reasonably practicable.

Effective workforce planning is essential to ensure the right number of skilled workers are available and that sufficient time is scheduled for challenging tasks, noting that new or junior workers may need additional supervision or support. Training workers so they have the skills and confidence to perform tasks safely is also critical.

All risk control decisions should be made in consultation with workers and reviewed regularly to ensure they remain effective as job demands and business needs evolve.

How can Business Chamber Queensland help?   

Effectively managing high and low job demands requires more than simply adjusting staffing levels, it demands strategic planning, clear processes, and confident leadership. Business Chamber Queensland can give employers the guidance and practical, compliant workforce solutions needed to navigate these challenges with confidence.

Our workplace relations team can help your organisation:

• Assess and structure roles to better withstand fluctuations in workload.
• Create clear rostering, scheduling, and workload distribution processes.
• Build policies and procedures that ensure compliance while maintaining operational flexibility.
• Provide training for managers on identifying, responding to, and communicating about shifting job demands.
• Support leaders in managing performance, wellbeing, and behavioural issues that may arise during periods of stress or underload.
• Assist with resolving workplace concerns or disputes related to workload expectations or resource allocation.
• Offer tailored workforce planning advice to help businesses anticipate and adapt to demand changes.

Whether your organisation is experiencing mounting pressure during busy periods or navigating the challenges of reduced workloads, our team can provide the tools, strategies, and expert guidance needed to maintain productivity, compliance, and employee wellbeing.