Over Work

Schulte calls ‘Good Work’ a combination of meaning, fairness, and cooperation. What is your definition of ‘Good Work’? How does it differ from the components Schulte puts forward? How is it similar? 

On page 47, Schulte writes: “It is easier and cheaper for businesses to offer the equivalent of lunchtime yoga, a mindfulness app, a basket of healthy snacks, or a sympathetic employee assistance program and be done with it. Rather than, say, hire sufficient staff to manage the workload, pay them well, and streamline processes to focus on getting the most important work done.” 

Do you relate to this claim? If so, what sorts of “perks” has your employer provided in lieu of addressing a larger systemic issue? If not, what does your employer or job do to alleviate burnout? 

If you could change American work culture, what would you change? What would you keep the same, if anything? What would you add? 

Throughout Over Work, Schulte comments on the United States’ lack of a national paid leave policy. On page 17, Schulte writes: “Virtually alone among advanced nations, the United States doesn’t guarantee workers any paid time off. There is no national paid family and medical leave policy, no paid sick days, no paid annual leave.” 

Have you or someone you know been impacted by this gap in American work culture? How was the situation handled? Based on Schulte’s examples, is there a country that seems to be making a difference on this front? 

Think about the jobs you’ve had. What was the best job you ever worked and why? What was the worst job you’ve ever worked and why? How did the pandemic affect your perspective on work? 

On page 122, Schulte presents the research of Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart – leaders of the four-day workweek movement. Barnes and Lockhart launched a pilot four-day workweek program at Barnes’ trust company, Perpetual Guardian, where all 250 employees were paid their full five-day week salary over the course of four days, with the promise that employees would provide 100 percent of their time and attention. Barnes and Lockhart found that: 

“Productivity remained just as high in four days as in five. The firm also saw big improvements in engagement, empowerment, and loyalty. Stress levels dropped.” Further, “the pilot data only confirmed what other research has found over the years: that the more hours we put in and as stress levels and poor health rise, the work itself suffers. Long hours can lead to unnecessary errors, accidents, fuzzy thinking, revising shoddy work done in an exhausted state, and more busywork.” 

How would you feel if a four-day workweek was the standard? Do you think the United States could someday adopt a four-day workweek model? Why or why not?

Schulte found that more than 2 million women were forced out of the workforce due to care responsibilities during the pandemic. While the numbers have somewhat rebounded (largely due to more widespread adoption of flexible work), there’s still a long way to go. What do you think it will take for gender equality in the workforce to stick once and for all? 

According to Schulte, close to 70 percent of the workforce have care responsibilities in addition to their day-to-day job, with women spending anywhere from 2 to 10 times more time than men on the unpaid work of care. Have you or someone you know been impacted by juggling care and work? What do you think is the employer’s responsibility when it comes to unpaid care? Is there any? 

Schulte argues that by focusing on meaningful work, caring and connecting with others, and taking time to rest and play, we can more deliberately prioritize quality of life in our hectic day-to-day lives. How do you prioritize quality of life? After reading Over Work, have any of your priorities or thoughts about work changed?