Culture of appreciation at work helps alleviate stress

Researchers found that employees experience ‘embitterment’ - an emotional response to perceived workplace injustice - on days when they are assigned more unreasonable tasks than usual.

This negative emotion not only affects their work but also spills over into their personal lives, leading to an increase in rumination, the repetitive dwelling on negative feelings and their causes. This can result in difficulty detaching from work, ultimately preventing recovery from job-related stress.

The findings have also revealed that this harmful cycle takes place mainly on days when employees receive less appreciation from their colleagues than usual.

The authors said it emphasises the importance of workplace recognition in mitigating the emotional toll of perceived ‘illegitimate’ tasks that are considered as unnecessary and/or unreasonable, and how this can help protect employees’ wellbeing.