One of the most complex issues in organizations is work motivation; however, the phenomenon of fear as a motivating force at work has been little examined. Thus, the aim of this paper is to examine fear, understood as a work motivator, to boost performance and productivity. A qualitative methodology with a hermeneutic approach is used to explore the fear of losing one’s job as a motivating force in the work environment. Likewise, it is an exploratory and descriptive-analytical approach based on the review of scientific papers and a thematic analysis to identify patterns and recurring themes. The main results reveal that the fear of losing one’s job impacts both employees and the organization in general, generating psychological, physiological and behavioral reactions that affect productivity and social interactions, also damaging the culture and work environment. Fear can encourage w...