Role underload (low workloads or job demands)

Information for employers and workers about managing the risk of role underload.

What is role underload?

Role underload happens when the demands of a worker’s job are consistently lower than what they can handle resulting in insufficient physical, mental, or emotional effort. For example:

  • tasks or jobs where there is routinely too little to do
  • highly repetitive or monotonous work, like picking and packing products or monitoring production lines
  • work that is too easy, for example significantly below a worker’s skills or abilities.

Risks related to role underload

When a worker experiences low job demands or workload over a prolonged period and frequently, it can become detrimental to their health. Impacts can include:

  • emotional and cognitive reactions such as frustration, feeling undervalued, loss of confidence, stress and depression
  • behavioural changes such as withdrawal from work activities and performance issues
  • low trust, conflict between team members and complacency, which may lead to increased workplace incidents.

It can also have social and economic costs for workers, their family and the business.

How to manage the risks

Employers/PCBUs

Under work, health and safety (WHS) laws, a person conducting a business of undertaking (PCBU) must take proactive steps to prevent risks associated with role underload, where it is reasonably practicable.

PCBUs must:

  • Eliminate health and safety risks at work, including psychosocial risks. If PCBUs are unable to eliminate risks, they must be minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.
  • Manage risks associated with role underload and consider applying the risk management process (PDF, 556.72 KB) to assist in meeting their duties. This process involves consulting with workers to identify, manage, control, and review risks related to the hazard.
  • Identify and adopt effective control measures.  Find information about how to do this on our psychosocial hazards page.

The Managing psychosocial hazards at work code of practice will help you meet your responsibilities under WHS laws in NSW.

Workers

While at work, workers must:

  • take reasonable care for their own psychological and physical health and safety
  • take reasonable care to make sure what they do, or don’t do, does not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons
  • comply with reasonable health and safety instructions, as far as they are reasonably able, and
  • cooperate with reasonable health and safety policies or procedures, for example reporting workplace hazards and incidents.

Workers should report concerns to their employer if they experience harm related to role underload. This will ensure they get support and the PCBU can take action to address the risk.

If you have raised concerns about harmful workplace behaviour internally and no action is being taken, read our ‘Dealing with a psychological health and safety issue at work’ section for further assistance.

Examples of controls and actions

PCBUs must use the hierarchy of controls (PDF, 46.87 KB) and consider all relevant matters within Section 55D of the WHS Regulation 2025 when identifying appropriate control measures to eliminate and minimise the risk of role underload.

When choosing control measures, you must consider all hazards present and how they may interact and combine.

Here are some examples of controls that can help minimise harm.

  • Manage supply chain systems to keep them running smoothly and avoid fluctuations in demand.
  • Provide sufficient workplace facilities and equipment for jobs with low demands. For example, ensuring there is adequate lighting on night shifts to improve alertness and reduce risk of fatigue.
  • Design work tasks and activities so workers aren’t overexposed to monotonous work. For example, introduce task rotation in line with worker skills and experience.
  • Design roles that enable flexibility to broaden scope if role underload is experienced by workers. For example, consult with workers on expanding responsibilities, tasks and upskilling.
  • Re-design roles and tasks if people have too little to do. For example, consider restructuring or reshaping roles and responsibilities if work requirements reduce through business losses.  Have a system in place to manage change in consultation with workers if this is required.
  • Engage in career planning conversations with workers to identify work that provides them with a sense of meaning/purpose.

Note: These are examples only. You must consult with workers to identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Resources

  • Managing psychosocial hazards at work code of practice – SafeWork NSW. Practical guidance on complying with WHS laws, including how to identify and manage psychosocial risks in the workplace.
  • Designing work to manage psychosocial risks – SafeWork NSW. Practical support and information for PCBUs on using work design to manage the risk of psychosocial hazards.
  • Psychosocial hazards – SafeWork NSW. Information about what psychosocial hazards are, their effects and how to manage them.
  • Job demands – Safe Work Australia. This resource provides guidance for identifying, assessing, and controlling risks related to workload, time pressure, and emotional demands to support employee wellbeing and compliance with WHS duties.
  • Psychosocial hazards request for service form – SafeWork NSW. Use this form to request assistance from SafeWork NSW. This can be useful if your business/workplace doesn’t have processes for you to report workplace conflict or you have reported it internally and no action is being taken.
  • Psychosocial hazards service standards – SafeWork NSW. Information about what you can expect from SafeWork NSW, and what we expect from you when you raise a psychosocial hazard issue.
Back to top