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Common performance management practices, which are traditionally framed as being 'positive' for productivity, can negatively impact employees' wellbeing, new research has found.

In a study led by Dr Mariella Miraglia from the University of Liverpool's Management School, researchers set out to investigate whether certain performance management practices increased 'work intensity' to the point of having a negative impact on employee wellbeing.

The study focused on three aspects of performance management: goal-setting; performance monitoring; and performance evaluation. It used absenteeism and dysfunctional presenteeism (working despite illness) as measures of employee ill-health and ill-being.

Researchers found "extremely challenging" performance goals, elevated monitoring of performance, and strict performance evaluation criteria could increase the "pressure and responsibility" employees felt, resulting in "work intensification"..