We're facing a crisis of overwork that's literally killing us. In this eye-opening conversation, award-winning journalist and author Brigid Schulte reveals how our toxic work culture has made overwork the norm, with devastating consequences for our health, happiness, and productivity.

Brigid traces the origins of our overwork epidemic to the 1980s when corporate priorities shifted toward shareholder value above all else. This transformation created what she calls "greedy work" - jobs that demand more and more of our time, attention, and energy. For knowledge workers, this manifests as a pressure to be constantly available and working excessive hours in one job. For the 44% of Americans in low-wage positions, overwork means juggling multiple jobs just to survive.

The most shocking revelation? Work itself has become the fifth leading cause of death in America. The psychosocial stressors of modern work - long hours, toxic management, and work-life conflict - contribute to both acute conditions like heart attacks and chronic illnesses like diabetes and cancer. Yet despite this health crisis, the myth persists that working longer hours makes us more productive.

Brigid demolishes this myth with compelling evidence showing that countries with shorter work weeks and better support systems match or exceed U.S. productivity. The problem isn't about working more; it's about focusing on what truly matters. She identifies three concentric circles of work: core value-creating work, work around the work (emails, meetings), and the performance of work (looking busy). In overwork cultures, we waste precious time in those outer rings.

The COVID pandemic proved flexible work is possible when leaders question assumptions. Organizations that successfully transform their work cultures share a common "success sequence": they pause to identify what truly matters, train managers to focus on outcomes rather than hours, and create systems that enable people to do their best work.

Isn't it time we stopped working ourselves to death? Listen now to discover how we can transform work to reclaim our lives, improve our health, and actually become more productive in the process.

Link to Brigid's books:

Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life

Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has The Time

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