Videoconferencing fatigue in the workplace: A stressor-strain-outcome model of work exhaustion

Background Videoconferencing has become central to coordinating distributed and hybrid work, but heavy reliance on virtual meetings can produce a distinctive cognitive strain commonly referred to as videoconference (Zoom) fatigue. Objective Grounded in the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework and informed by cognitive ergonomics, this study examined whether socio-technical demands in videoconferencing act as stressors that increase fatigue and affect employees’ work functioning. Methods Online self-presentation pressure, social interaction load, and cognitive absorption were conceptualized as stressors that increase cognitive and attentional demands during virtual meetings. Survey data from 383 employees across multiple industries in Taiwan were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results All three stressors were positively associated with videoconferencing fatigue, which, in turn, was positively associated with work exhaustion. The direct association between videoconferencing fatigue and perceived meeting effectiveness, an indicator of collaborative performance, was not supported, suggesting that perceived meeting functioning may be maintained despite increased strain. Conclusions These findings extend technostress and SSO research by demonstrating how specific features of digital collaboration technologies reshape cognitive workload and strain in modern work systems. The findings also offer practical implications for designing healthier meeting practices, supporting sustainable remote and hybrid work arrangements, and informing organizational policies on digital collaboration.