This edited collection explores different strands of social constructionist theory and methods to provide a critique of the prevailing discourse of work stress, and introduces a radical new approach to conceptualizing suffering at work. Over the last three decades, stress and other forms of suffering at work (including burn-out, bullying, and issues relating to work-life balance) have emerged as important social and medical problems in Western countries. However, stress is a contested category, not (as many argue) a well-defined clinical, biological and psychological state that affects people in the same way in different cultures and at different times. Thus, a social constructionist perspective helps to shed light on new approaches to prevention and interventions of work stress. This book will be of great interest for students and scholars of sociology, anthropology, social history, history of science, psychology, communication and management, as well as to practitioners (doctors and psychologists), policy makers and employers.

Work-related stress is costly not only to employees, but also to organizations and society. For example, it is estimated that work-related stress, depression, and anxiety costs British employers £1,035 per employee and that workplace stress costs the US economy up to $300 billion annually. However, elevated levels of stress often cannot be changed, and, if demands were not placed on employees, employee learning, organizational innovation, and societal economic growth would be hindered. Consequently, it is vital that occupational health practitioners, employees, employers and researchers strive to better understand and manage workplace stress, such that employee health and well-being can be improved. This book can assist organizations and individuals as they encounter workplace stress. This edition highlights research done by 25 authors across 12 chapters that challenges how work stress is viewed and assessed. Additionally, a number of social and psychological influences on the stress experience are examined. Our beliefs and expectations of stress and its results, whether helpful or hurtful, can have a profound influence on our stress experiences. Also, the way that we approach our work (e.g., job crafting) or the treatment we receive from others (e.g., with dignity) can either mitigate or exacerbate any harmful or beneficial effects of stress. Moreover, how we assess the psychological (e.g., burnout and well-being) or physiological (e.g., cortisol) outcomes of stress are meaningful, and the proper diagnosis of stress (e.g., stress surveys) underlies our understanding. We hope that the findings reported in these chapters and the insights of these scholars will provide ways for you and/or your organization to improve the health and well-being of employees.

Are you suffering from work-related stress? Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and short-tempered at work—and at home? Then you may have too much stress in your life. Stress is a serious problem that impacts not only your mental and physical health, but also your loved ones and your organization. So what can you do to address it? The HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work will help you find a sustainable solution. It will help you reach the goal of getting on an even keel—and staying there. You’ll learn how to: • Harness stress so it spurs, not hinders, productivity • Create realistic and manageable routines • Aim for progress, not perfection • Make the case for a flexible schedule • Ease the physical tension of spending too much time at your computer • Renew yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally

Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace tells the story of the evolving journey of those in the medical profession. It dwells not on the story of burnout, distress, compassion fatigue, moral injury, and cognitive dissonance but rather on a narrative of hope for professional fulfillment, well-being, joy, and camaraderie. Achieving this aim requires health care professionals and administrative leaders working together to create the ideal workplace-through nurturing positivity and pushing negativity aside. The ultimate aspiration is esprit de corps-the common spirit existing in members of a group that inspires enthusiasm, devotion, loyalty, camaraderie, engagement, and strong regard for the welfare of the team and of common interests and responsibilities. Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace provides a road map for you to create esprit de corps for your team and organization. The map is paved with information about reliable, patient-centered, and thoughtful systems embedded within psychologically safe and just cultures. The authors drew on their extensive research on the well-being of health care professionals; from their experience in quality, department operations, leadership and organization development, management, safe havens, and care teams; and from their roles as president, chief wellness officer, chief quality officer, chair, principal investigator, senior fellow, and board director.

"In this timely, provocative book, Jeffrey Pfeffer contends that many modern management commonalities such as long hours, work-family conflict, and economic insecurity are toxic to employees--hurting engagement, increasing turnover, and destroying people's physical and emotional health--while also being inimical to company performance. He argues that human sustainability should be as important as environmental stewardship. You don't have to do a physically dangerous job to confront a health-destroying, possibly life-threatening workplace....In "Dying for a Paycheck", Jeffrey Pfeffer marshals a vast trove of evidence and numerous examples from all over the world to expose the infuriating truth about modern work life: even as organizations allow management practices that actually sicken and kill their employees, those policies do not enhance productivity or the bottom line, thereby creating a lose-lose situation. Exploring a range of important topics, including layoffs, health insurance, work-family conflict, work hours, job autonomy, and why people remain in toxic environments, Pfeffer offers guidance and practical solutions that all of us--employees, employers, and the government--can use to enhance workplace well-being. We must wake up to the dangers and enormous costs to today's workplace, Pfeffer argues. "Dying for a Paycheck" is a clarion call for a social movement focused on human sustainability. Pfeffer makes clear that the environment we work in is just as important as the one we live in, and with this urgent book he opens our eyes and shows how we can make our workplaces healthier and better."--jacket flaps

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This book is a gift! I’ve been practicing their strategies, and it’s a total game changer.”—Brené Brown, PhD, author of Dare to Lead “A primer on how to stop letting the world dictate how you live and what we think of ourselves, Burnout is essential reading [and] . . . excels in its intersectionality.”—Bustle This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men—and provides a roadmap to minimizing stress, managing emotions, and living more joyfully. Burnout. You, like most American women, have probably experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to exist as a woman in today’s world are two different things—and we exhaust ourselves trying to close the gap. Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the all-too-familiar cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. They compassionately explain the obstacles and societal pressures we face—and how we can fight back. You’ll learn • what you can do to complete the biological stress cycle • how to manage the “monitor” in your brain that regulates the emotion of frustration • how the Bikini Industrial Complex makes it difficult for women to love their bodies—and how to defend yourself against it • why rest, human connection, and befriending your inner critic are keys to recovering from and preventing burnout With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in Burnout—and will be empowered to create positive change. A BOOKRIOT BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR