Work design: Tolerable demands

SMART work has tolerable demands

Tolerable work has 3 main aspects:

• You have enough time to complete your work and your work hours are reasonable (reasonable time pressure).
• You are able to manage the emotional, mental and other pressures without strain (reasonable emotional demands).
• You receive consistent feedback, instruction and demands (low role conflict). 

Different jobs may have different demands. For example, some may be more physically demanding than others, or more mentally demanding. But SMART work design ensures these demands are tolerable.

Jobs where demands are not tolerable are likely to:

• not have enough time allocated to complete required tasks
• involve tasks that are too cognitively or emotionally challenging, which leaves people feeling burnt out
• involve conflicting feedback and instructions, making the work ambiguous.  

All work involves demands. When demands are present at appropriate levels and workers are supported, these demands can increase worker engagement. People working in jobs with tolerable work demands experience lower levels of job stress, less home–work conflict, and reduced risk of making mistakes. They also have a lower risk of developing mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, depression and burnout) and physical health problems.

Organisations that design work with tolerable demands experience fewer accidents, lower staff turnover and lower rates of presenteeism and absenteeism. They also benefit from fewer workers compensation claims and quicker return to work after an injury or illness.

Tips on managing job demands

Workers

If you find your job demands are not tolerable, here are some things you can do:

• Discuss and negotiate deadlines with your manager. They may not know how long it takes to complete some tasks.
• Plan and take breaks to ensure you have an opportunity to recharge. A quick 10-minute walk outside can sometimes be enough to help reset after a challenging task. 
• Know your organisation’s policies for managing fatigue (including overtime, rosters and shift work).
• Seek clarification about tasks if you receive conflicting instructions and feedback.

Managers

If you are a manager, here are some ways you can design work to ensure it is tolerable:

• Monitor workloads during periods of high demands and provide additional support when necessary.
• Encourage workers to take breaks or ‘time out’ from emotionally demanding work.
• Communicate openly during periods of organisational change, including clear reasons for decisions. Give staff a way to share their ideas and concerns.
• Provide clear and consistent instructions and feedback. This is particularly important when feedback is shared within a team.
• Get some training about how to allocate work safely. Check in regularly to make sure you are doing this correctly.
• Know your organisation’s policies for managing fatigue and make sure workers know them too.