From workload to work balance: managing stressors and energy resources
For employers, this can sometimes feel like a puzzle. Because if the circumstances are the same, why does the outcome differ so strongly? The answer does not lie in workload itself, but in the balance between stressors and energy resources: a core principle from the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model.
The JD-R model explained
The JD-R model is based on a simple principle: every job includes factors that consume energy (stressors) and factors that provide energy (energy resources). When these become structurally imbalanced, the risk of reduced engagement, psychological symptoms and absence increases.
Stress does not arise solely within the individual, but in the interaction between the individual (such as lifestyle, health and experience) and the work environment. This means that it is not only an employee’s workload capacity that matters, but also how work is designed and organised.
Stressors: more than ‘too much work’
Stressors are aspects of work that structurally demand energy and, when persistent, can cause strain. Workload is a well-known factor, but certainly not the only one. In practice, multiple stressors often play a role at the same time.
Common examples include:
- high cognitive or emotional workload
- unclear roles, expectations or priorities
- limited influence over planning or working methods
- uncertainty due to change or reorganisation
- disrupted collaboration or a lack of social safety
Two employees with the same tasks can still experience their work very differently. Factors such as perfectionism, limited work experience or a higher private burden, for example due to young children or structural sleep deprivation, influence workload capacity.
Energy resources make the difference
Energy resources are aspects of work that provide employees with energy and help them cope with demanding circumstances. They strengthen motivation, resilience and recovery capacity, and ensure that employees remain engaged, even during busy periods.
- Important energy resources include:
- autonomy and decision latitude
- support and trust from the manager
- positive collaboration and collegial support
- meaning and purpose in work
- opportunities to learn and develop
- mogelijkheden om te leren en ontwikkelen
These elements make a real difference, especially during demanding periods. They act as a buffer, enabling employees to better cope with peak workload and preventing them from becoming unbalanced too quickly — for example when pressure is shared with supportive colleagues in a positive working atmosphere.
Why do employees respond so differently?
The JD-R model shows that workload can have different effects on individuals, because multiple factors play a role at the same time. Not only stressors and energy resources in the work environment are relevant, but also personal characteristics, lifestyle and experience in the individual context. It is precisely the combination of these factors that determines how demanding work is experienced.
This makes organisational conditions crucial. Is there room for dialogue? Are signals recognised? Can employees adjust when needed? For employers, this is where an important responsibility lies: not only focusing on individual resilience, but above all on the context in which people work.
The role of the employer
The JD-R model helps to approach stress and absence in a preventive way. Instead of intervening only when complaints arise, it provides guidance for earlier adjustment.
Three questions can help provide direction:
- Where is structural overload likely to arise in the work?
- Which energy resources are available to counterbalance this, and are these accessible to everyone?
- To what extent are managers and employees equipped to discuss this?
By creating space to ask these questions on a regular basis, the focus shifts from treating symptoms to sustainable employability.
Do you want to make this more concrete within your organisation? In this white paper, you can read which knowledge and skills managers need to recognise stress earlier and make it a topic of discussion.
Healthy work starts with balance
When employers understand why employees respond differently to similar circumstances, absence becomes less of a surprise and more of a signal. A signal not only to reduce demands, but above all to strengthen energy resources.
The JD-R model does not offer a ready-made solution, but it does provide clear direction: organise work in such a way that employees can not only keep going, but also remain motivated and healthy in the long term.