Due to the current and ongoing economic crisis, many people are suffering in all kinds of different ways in the corporate world. There may be a general view that you are ‘lucky to have a job’ in the current climate, and should count your blessings, but those who are in employment are not exempt from the stresses and strains. Their wellbeing could actually be put significantly at risk due to something called ‘role overload’. This often occurs when a company has reduced the number of personnel that they can afford to maintain, but still have the same workload that has to get done. This means extra work and extra responsibilities for many members of staff, without any of the associated pay rises that one might normally expect, and this extra burden could have a negative impact ton their wellness, leaving them vulnerable to stress, anxiety and other associated problems.
Employers are also struggling to keep a well-staffed organisation for other reasons too, besides the economic crisis. Firstly, there is actually a shortage of skilled labour in the UK just now, due to factors such as younger people having value shifts and older people having challenges with eldercare. In fact, it is thought that by the year 2016, there will be a shortage of around 800,000 skilled members of staff, but still a surplus of 500,000 low-skilled employees.
Put in simple terms, role overload occurs when the demands for time and energy on an employee exceed that which they have the time and energy to accomplish. This can lead to employees constantly feeling that they are not doing a good enough job, as they are not able to complete everything that is being asked of them, no matter how good a job they are actually doing. This can be a very demoralising experience for them, and can lead to stress, anxiety, overwork and also a lack of engagement with their corporate life.
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