Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (23-item version)

The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ) is a robust, well-validated psychometric instrument designed to measure occupational stress.

Questions: 23
Duration: 8 min
Original title: Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (version courte 23 items)
Adaptation: Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (23-item version)
Authors: Siegrist, J., Starke, D., Chandola, T., Godin, I., Marmot, M., Niedhammer, I., & Peter, R.
Created: 2004

The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ) is a robust, well-validated psychometric instrument designed to measure occupational stress. Grounded in the social reciprocity model developed by Johannes Siegrist, it quantifies the distress that emerges when high work costs are not adequately offset by corresponding professional gains. This measure moves beyond simple task-demand models to capture the relational and psychological contract of modern work environments.

For mental health clinicians, the ERIQ offers a powerful lens to explore patients' exhaustion, particularly when evaluating suspected burnout or systemic psychosocial risks at work. By unpacking both the objective conditions of the workplace and the patient’s intrinsic coping patterns, it provides actionable data for case formulation.

As a repeatable measure, the ERIQ allows therapists to track shifts in how patients appraise their work environment over time. Whether used at intake to clarify the main drivers of distress or during treatment to assess the impact of boundary-setting interventions, it anchors the clinical conversation in specific, measurable dimensions of workplace stress.

Example result

Fictitious result, computed from a sample set of answers.

Overall score

0.851/ 4

Self-report questionnaire for the assessment of psychosocial work stress derived from Johannes Siegrist's model. It measures three dimensions: extrinsic efforts (constraints and demands imposed by the organization), occupational rewards (esteem, career/promotion prospects, job security, salary), and overcommitment (intrinsic efforts, excessive commitment, difficulty detaching from work). Useful for identifying chronic exposure to psychosocial risks, documenting workplace distress, and clarifying clinical pictures of occupational exhaustion, burnout, or work-related anxious-depressive symptomatology in employed adults.

0.851

0.254

Scoring

Sum per subscale + effort-reward ratio, total score from 0.25 to 4, each item is scored on a 4-point scale (from 1 to 4).

Overcommitment × Effort-reward imbalance (ERI ratio)→ Low risk

Overcommitment ≥ 17

Overcommitment < 17

Intermediate risk — overcommitment alone

The balance between efforts and rewards is maintained, but work engagement remains excessive: difficulty detaching from work, effort sustained beyond what the situation demands. In the model, this constraint is intrinsic: it stems from the coping style, not from working conditions.

Highest risk — double strain

Both constraints combine: rewards do not compensate for efforts, and excessive commitment prevents disengagement. This is the combination to which the Siegrist model attributes the highest risk to health. This questionnaire is self-reported and does not establish any diagnosis: this result warrants a clinical interview.

Low risk

Efforts and rewards are balanced, without excessive work engagement. This is the configuration associated by the model with the most favorable health indicators, and where recovery after work remains possible.

Effort-reward imbalance (ERI ratio) 0.851 · Overcommitment 15

Intermediate risk — imbalance alone

Efforts expended exceed perceived rewards (esteem, prospects, security, salary), without personal overcommitment. In the model, this constraint is extrinsic: it stems from what the work situation provides in exchange for the effort expended.

Effort-reward imbalance (ERI ratio) < 1

Effort-reward imbalance (ERI ratio) ≥ 1

The intersection of the two axes is the original interpretation of the model: effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment are two distinct sources of strain, and their combination is the most detrimental. Individuals with high scores on the ERI scales show significantly elevated odds ratios for poor health in 12 out of 14 analyses.

ERI ratio > 1: efforts expended exceed perceived rewards (6/11 correction for the number of items). Overcommitment ≥ 17 out of 24: optimal cut-off from Lehr et al. (2010) based on Youden's index.Siegrist et al. (2004)View the study ↗

Calculation of the ERI ratio

Extrinsic efforts 13÷(Rewards 28 × 0.545)=0.851

ERI = sum of Efforts (6–24) ÷ [sum of Rewards (11–44) × 6/11]. The 6/11 factor corrects for the difference in the number of items. Overcommitment (6–24) is interpreted separately (empirical cut-off > 16, Lehr 2010).

Extrinsic efforts

13/ 24

Job demands and constraints: time pressure, workload, interruptions, responsibilities.

items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

624

Rewards

28/ 44

Perceived rewards in return for work: esteem, promotion prospects, salary, and job security.

items 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

1144

Overcommitment (intrinsic efforts)

15/ 24

Tendency to overcommit to work and difficulty detaching from it.

items 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

6–16

Non-high overcommitment

17–24

High overcommitment

Below the upper tertile (complementary coverage of the > 16 threshold).

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What the test measures

The ERIQ breaks down occupational stress into three core dimensions, separating external working conditions from internal coping styles.

Extrinsic Effort: Measures the psychological and physical demands imposed by the work environment, such as constant time pressure, interruptions, and heavy workload.
Reward: Captures the three main transmitter systems of professional reciprocity: financial compensation, esteem from colleagues and superiors, and structural career opportunities like job security.
Overcommitment: Assesses the patient's intrinsic drive, capturing an exhaustive working style that clinicians might explore when discussing adaptive vs. maladaptive coping strategies.

This questionnaire is specifically designed for working adults across diverse occupational sectors to assess the structural and personal factors contributing to their distress.

When and why to use it

Clinicians typically integrate the ERIQ when work-related distress is a central clinical theme, using it to differentiate between toxic environments and maladaptive working styles.

Intake baseline: To map out the specific dimensions of a patient's occupational distress and establish a clear starting point for interventions.
Targeting rigid rules: To help patients recognize and soften the "should" statements and perfectionistic drives that fuel chronic overcommitment.
Differential support: To clarify whether the patient primarily needs help building assertiveness to negotiate better conditions or emotional regulation to manage a truly precarious environment.
Monitoring change: To track shifts in the external effort-reward ratio after patients set new boundaries or reorganize their schedule using tools like the Eisenhower urgency-importance matrix.

By relying on a validated ERI score, clinicians move beyond vague complaints of fatigue, obtaining a precise metric of occupational imbalance that pure clinical impression might miss.

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The questions

The following questions refer to your present occupation. For each of the statements, please indicate to what degree you agree or disagree, choosing the answer that best reflects your current situation. Thank you for answering all statements.
1. I am constantly pressed for time due to a heavy workload.
Probes the frequency of distress driven by strict deadlines and excessive workload.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
2. I am frequently interrupted and disturbed while doing my work.
Assesses the degree of fragmentation and lack of focus permitted by the work environment.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
3. I have a lot of responsibility in my job.
Explores the psychological weight of the obligations the patient carries in their role.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
4. I often have to work overtime.
Evaluates the external pressure to extend working hours beyond standard boundaries.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
5. My work is physically demanding.
Captures the physical toll required to perform the job's core duties.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
6. Over the last few years, my job has become more and more demanding.
Measures the perceived trajectory of job strain and creeping demands over recent years.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
7. I receive the respect I deserve from my superiors.
Probes the patient's sense of being valued and acknowledged by management.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
8. I receive the respect I deserve from my colleagues.
Assesses the level of lateral respect and esteem received from peers.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
9. I experience adequate support in difficult situations at work.
Evaluates the availability of a reliable social safety net during workplace crises.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
10. I am treated unfairly at work.
Captures the patient's global perception of equity and fairness in their organization.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
11. I am experiencing or expecting to experience an undesirable change in my work situation.
Measures the chronic stress associated with looming instability or negative role shifts.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
12. My promotion prospects are poor.
Probes the patient's perception of career stagnation and lack of upward mobility.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
13. My job security is at risk.
Assesses the foundational anxiety stemming from the threat of job loss.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
14. My current professional position is a good match for my training.
Evaluates the congruence between the patient's qualifications and their actual organizational status.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
15. Considering all my efforts, I receive the respect and esteem I deserve at work.
Explores the balance between the energy invested and the recognition received at work.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
16. Considering all my efforts, my promotion prospects are adequate.
Assesses whether the patient feels their hard work translates into viable career advancement.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
17. Considering all my efforts, my salary is adequate.
Probes the perceived fairness of financial compensation relative to the effort expended.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
18. I frequently feel rushed at work.
Captures the intrinsic susceptibility to feeling overwhelmed by standard time constraints.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
19. I start thinking about work problems as soon as I get up in the morning.
Measures anticipatory anxiety and the immediate intrusion of work thoughts upon waking.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
20. When I get home, I can easily relax and forget about everything related to my work.
Evaluates the patient's capacity for psychological detachment and restorative rest after hours.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
21. People close to me say I sacrifice too much for my job.
Assesses the interpersonal cost of the patient's work habits as observed by their support network.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
22. Work is still on my mind when I go to bed.
Probes the presence of rumination and the inability to disconnect before sleep.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
23. When I put off something that I should have done today, I have trouble sleeping at night.
Captures the anxious urgency and rigid standards regarding daily task completion.
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree