Abstract
In Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin depicted a worker totally submitted to the pace of production, as set by the factory boss. Does this story belong to the past? Apparently not. Today, workloads are getting heavier throughout the world. People report they are overwhelmed by work and lack the time to complete one or more tasks, projects or initiatives. The day is over before everything has been done, and we tell each other we need a little less work and far more employees. Our children are fed up seeing us work evenings and weekends.
Ever since my burnout, I’ve had two personal strategies for my workload. If my boss hands me an important file, I’ll ask him to take back another file because now I know my limits. Other times, I just wait until he’s asked me twice. It’s incredible how often he simply forgets. Hah! Hah!
—An operations manager
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Notes
Ricci, J. A., Chee, E., Lorandeau, A. L. & Berger, J. (2007). Fatigue in the U. S. workforce: Prevalence and implications for lost productive work time. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 49(1), 1–10.
The model presented below is based on: Falzon, P. & Sauvagnac, C. (2004). Charge de travail et stress. In Fondements théoriques et cadres conceptuels (pp. 175–90). Paris, France: PUF.
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© 2009 Jean-Pierre Brun & Cary Cooper
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Brun, JP., Cooper, C. (2009). Control the Workload. In: Missing Pieces. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230233546_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230233546_7
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-36651-4
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