Definition
Workload is the level of physical, cognitive and emotional demand placed on a person while performing a task under defined conditions and within a defined time.
Human Explanation
Workload shows how much effort a task requires. It may result from the number of activities, time pressure, difficult decisions, the amount of information, physical effort or responsibility.
Why it Matters
Excessive workload increases the risk of fatigue, error and overload. Workload that is too low may reduce attention, create boredom and delay reactions.
Conceptual Boundary
Workload is not the same as the number of tasks. The same task may create different workloads depending on experience, available time, information quality and working conditions.
Practical Perspective
Well-designed work does not require people to operate continuously at the limit of their capabilities. The system should preserve enough attention, time and capacity to respond to unusual situations.