Overload: How Good Jobs Went Bad and What We Can Do about It
- Downloads：6575
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-12-28 06:51:16
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Erin L. Kelly
- ISBN：069122708X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Why too much work and too little time is hurting workers and companies--and how a proven workplace redesign can benefit employees and the bottom line
Today's ways of working are not working--even for professionals in good jobs。 Responding to global competition and pressure from financial markets， companies are asking employees to do more with less， even as new technologies normalize 24/7 job expectations。 In Overload， Erin Kelly and Phyllis Moen document how this new intensification of work creates chronic stress， leading to burnout， attrition， and underperformance。 Flexible work policies and corporate lip service about work-life balance don't come close to fixing the problem。 But this unhealthy and unsustainable situation can be changed--and Overload shows how。
Drawing on five years of research， including hundreds of interviews with employees and managers， Kelly and Moen tell the story of a major experiment that they helped design and implement at a Fortune 500 firm。 The company adopted creative and practical work redesigns that gave workers more control over how and where they worked and encouraged managers to evaluate performance in new ways。 The result？ Employees' health， well-being， and ability to manage their personal and work lives improved， while the company benefited from higher job satisfaction and lower turnover。 And， as Kelly and Moen show， such changes can--and should--be made on a wide scale。
Complete with advice about ways that employees， managers， and corporate leaders can begin to question and fix one of today's most serious workplace problems， Overload is an inspiring account about how rethinking and redesigning work could transform our lives and companies。
Today's ways of working are not working--even for professionals in good jobs。 Responding to global competition and pressure from financial markets， companies are asking employees to do more with less， even as new technologies normalize 24/7 job expectations。 In Overload， Erin Kelly and Phyllis Moen document how this new intensification of work creates chronic stress， leading to burnout， attrition， and underperformance。 Flexible work policies and corporate lip service about work-life balance don't come close to fixing the problem。 But this unhealthy and unsustainable situation can be changed--and Overload shows how。
Drawing on five years of research， including hundreds of interviews with employees and managers， Kelly and Moen tell the story of a major experiment that they helped design and implement at a Fortune 500 firm。 The company adopted creative and practical work redesigns that gave workers more control over how and where they worked and encouraged managers to evaluate performance in new ways。 The result？ Employees' health， well-being， and ability to manage their personal and work lives improved， while the company benefited from higher job satisfaction and lower turnover。 And， as Kelly and Moen show， such changes can--and should--be made on a wide scale。
Complete with advice about ways that employees， managers， and corporate leaders can begin to question and fix one of today's most serious workplace problems， Overload is an inspiring account about how rethinking and redesigning work could transform our lives and companies。
Reviews
James Francis McEnanly
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Work in the 2020'sThis book is a study of office （ In place or remote） life in the 2020's。 The author discusses stresses such as being on call 24 hours a day， whether at the office or away from it， as well as attending meetings while surreptitiously discussing the meeting by text。 It is a must read for any business major。 Work in the 2020'sThis book is a study of office （ In place or remote） life in the 2020's。 The author discusses stresses such as being on call 24 hours a day， whether at the office or away from it， as well as attending meetings while surreptitiously discussing the meeting by text。 It is a must read for any business major。 。。。more
Brittany Bond
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What a lens to reflect on the past 1。5 years （it released March 2020） through， as well as to imagine the promise and perils facing workers’ #returntowork Very thoughtful and thorough examination into how overbearing many middle/ upper middle class jobs have become。 Excellent resource for any study into the area of work and work-life “balance”。 Comprehensive stop for additional sources on all relevant topics as well。Incredibly timely read for this COVID existence。
Avi-Gil
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The book does a great job of outlining the problem。 The intervention they staged （at a company that remains anonymous） is not detailed enough to be helpful for others to copy。
Erika Sanborne
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Nobody needs better “work-life balance” but everybody needs relief from work as it is。 Overload is an important read for anyone interested in how work itself can be something other than what it is right now， in a way that benefits both employees and employers。 Kelly and Moen， of MIT and University of Minnesota respectively， conclude with strategic insights from their research how to create “sane and sustainable jobs” - strategy that will be only more necessary in our post-COVID， increasingly uns Nobody needs better “work-life balance” but everybody needs relief from work as it is。 Overload is an important read for anyone interested in how work itself can be something other than what it is right now， in a way that benefits both employees and employers。 Kelly and Moen， of MIT and University of Minnesota respectively， conclude with strategic insights from their research how to create “sane and sustainable jobs” - strategy that will be only more necessary in our post-COVID， increasingly unsustainble work worlds。 There is hope。 。。。more
Ben Rogers
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Important book about a really pervasive issue。 I feel everyone should read this。 3。4/5
Sergio Caredda
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Questo testo è basato su un esperimento "sul campo" di "work redesign"， volto a combattere gli effetti del cosiddetto "Overload" da lavoro。 L'esperimento， realizzato nel dipartimento IT di una Fortune 500 per oltre 5 anni， ha permesso di validare un approccio che permette di migliorare la produttività pur riducendo gli effetti perniciosi del superlavoro。 In generale il libro presenta un ottima analisi del perché anche tanti mestieri "buoni"， dai salari medio elevati， siano oggi segnati da profon Questo testo è basato su un esperimento "sul campo" di "work redesign"， volto a combattere gli effetti del cosiddetto "Overload" da lavoro。 L'esperimento， realizzato nel dipartimento IT di una Fortune 500 per oltre 5 anni， ha permesso di validare un approccio che permette di migliorare la produttività pur riducendo gli effetti perniciosi del superlavoro。 In generale il libro presenta un ottima analisi del perché anche tanti mestieri "buoni"， dai salari medio elevati， siano oggi segnati da profondi problemi di burnout， stress e overload。La metodologia di intervento proposta volge a migliorare sia la salute dell'individuo che le performance dell'impresa。Un'ottima e realistica visione su un problema da risolvere。 Lontana dalle visioni rosee del Futuro del lavoro fatte da troppi， illustra un problema serio， e propone anche delle modalità di risoluzione adeguate。 。。。more
Amanda
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Overload is a thoughtful discussion about the health impacts of a digitally-enabled "always available" knowledge worker experience， offering a well-designed intervention and suggestions for policy reform。 The takeaway is simple and refreshing: treat your workforce like adults （let them have a say in their hours and where they do their work）， and everyone benefits。 The authors dual agenda work redesign intervention is an impressive feat in organizational studies; they were actually able to conduc Overload is a thoughtful discussion about the health impacts of a digitally-enabled "always available" knowledge worker experience， offering a well-designed intervention and suggestions for policy reform。 The takeaway is simple and refreshing: treat your workforce like adults （let them have a say in their hours and where they do their work）， and everyone benefits。 The authors dual agenda work redesign intervention is an impressive feat in organizational studies; they were actually able to conduct a randomized controlled experiment， lending a tremendous amount of credibility to their findings。 Unfortunately， as illustrated by the firm's reversion to their old organizational design （after a merger）， the larger implication is that interventions like this are unlikely to stick when workers are in a weak bargaining position in the first place （fearing downsizing）， and when the effects of worker satisfaction and turnover don't have acute financial implications。 It's important to note the book is largely written for an academic audience， and reads like an accessible extended journal publication。 So you might not find all the content relevant if you are an overloaded employee or employer searching for answers。 It shares similarities with Zeynep Ton's "The Good Jobs Strategy，" but focused on knowledge and white collar work。 。。。more
V
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I was hopeful this book would provide insight that would be applicable for real life。 It appears to be that the author conducted a study where initiatives promoting work-life balance where implemented at an unnamed company and the results documented。 Much of the book is rehashing the same points and interviewing workers on their particular experience。 Very theoretical and no real life application。 Disappointing book。
Theodore Kinni
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