How Pressure at Work Can Affect Performance: Stress, Enstress and Distress

Are you an employee who performs well under pressure? Some people are, but others are not, as they tend to over-react adversely to the stress related to performance demands.

For employers, being aware of the effects of stress on employees is important in terms of their performance.

“Stress is not always negative. It may also bring out the best in individuals at times. It may induce an individual to discover, be innovative and find a smarter way of doing things.”

“Enstress” and “distress” are positive and negative terms that refer to what happens to employees under the stress of high performance.  

Most employers are aware that a healthy balance of positive and negative pressure on employees affects their work performance, as well as their attitude towards employers and their employment. It can be a major determining factor in employee, interpersonal relationships.   

Everyone enjoys receiving recognition for work well done. Positive pressure in the form of pay increases, promotions, bonuses, incentives, gifts, etc. function as incentives that can work wonders in terms of employee performance. At the same time, they can create negative, competitive and confrontational pressure among other employees that affects their level of performance.    

Employees with a dynamic, Type A personality enjoy the challenge of positive pressure, thrive on it and tend to increase their productivity. They enjoy competition. Others resent, resist or overreact to this kind of pressure at work, as it does not motivate them, but makes them feel oppressed. Their performance changes in an adverse manner and their productivity may be suppressed. 

'Those kinds of incentives are only for certain people. They always get the bonuses,' one employee might suggest. 'What about the rest of us?'

The mental, emotional and physical health of all employees who are under too much pressure can suffer. Anger, frustration, resentment, feelings of incompetency or low self-esteem can lead employees to quit their jobs. For employers, this can be counter-productive in terms of performance.

Happy employees seem to perform the best and are the most productive. They function on a higher level of competency because they do not worry about pressure. They enjoy their work and do well at whatever they have to do. Unhappy employees have the worst performance and tend to be the least productive. They are more inclined to mope around, complain, argue, fight, postpone the work task or resist working.

Many baby boomers and seniors returning to work after retirement from other jobs, find the performance demands of employers unrealistic in relation to previous employment. Their performance may reflect the stress and tension. At the same time, others thrive in a new environment.

Employee performance is an individual matter. Stress and pressure in the right direction can be a major determining factor in anyone’s success.