Definition:
Deadline compression is the practice of shortening or stacking time limits to force prioritisation under pressure, often without changing the underlying workload.
Usage Context:
Occurs in productivity culture, gig work platforms, bureaucratic processes, benefit systems, and workplaces where timelines are repeatedly tightened “for efficiency.”
Critical Note:
Deadline compression reframes structural overload as individual failure. It disproportionately penalises disabled and neurodivergent people while rewarding burnout compliance.
Related Terms:
Artificial Urgency, Urgency Trap, Compliance Framing, Time Gating, Behavioural Bias Exploitation