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

by Brigid Schulte

“Brigid Schulte is a vital voice on the future of work, and her carefully researched book lights the way to fewer hours, less stress, and more meaning.”
―Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential, and host of the podcast WorkLife

From the New York Times bestselling author of Overwhelmed, a deeply reported exploration of why American work isn’t working and how our lives can be made more meaningful

Following Overwhelmed, Brigid Schulte’s groundbreaking examination of time management and stress, the prizewinning journalist now turns her attention to the greatest culprit in America’s quality-of-life crisis: the way our economy and culture conceive of work. Americans across all demographics, industries, and socioeconomic levels report exhaustion, burnout, and the wish for more meaningful lives. This full-system failure in our structure of work affects everything from gender inequality to domestic stability, and it even shortens our lifespans.

Drawing on years of research, Schulte traces the arc of our discontent from a time before the 1980s, when work was compatible with well-being and allowed a single earner to support a family, until today, with millions of people working multiple hourly jobs or in white-collar positions where no hours are ever off duty.

She casts a wide net in search of solutions, exploring the movement to institute a four-day workweek, introducing Japan’s Housewives Brigade—which demands legal protection for family time—and embedding with CEOs who are making the business case for humane conditions. And she demonstrates the power of a collective and creative demand for change, showing that work can be organized in an infinite number of ways that are good for humans and for business.

Fiercely argued and vividly told, rich with stories and informed by deep investigation, Over Work lays out a clear vision for ending our punishing grind and reclaiming leisure, joy, and meaning.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Self Help, Audiobook, Personal Development, Psychology, Professional Development

432 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2024

About the author

Brigid Schulte is an award-winning journalist for the Washington Post and Washington Post magazine. She was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize. She is also a fellow at the New America Foundation. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and two children. She grew up in Oregon and spent summers in Wyoming, where she did not feel overwhelmed.

Reviews

[Marcia Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone whose job it is to help companies recruit their best teams, I work with thousands of candidates every year. Since COVID, the shift is profound -- employees are looking for "sustainable" work environments, those with boundaries and with respect for their contributions and commitments. Imagine my excitement when I scored an advance copy of this well thought out and spell-binding book about how work might be. Schulte's lively and expansive narrative covers stories across multiple continents. It addresses where we are, how we got here, the physical and economic costs of maintaining the status quo, and the actions individuals, companies, and societies writ large can take to shift their approach. I can't believe I have to wait until September to share this book with my clients, candidates, and colleagues. This is a game changing read and it can't arrive in my mailbox soon enough. I'm ready for change. How 'bout you?

[bog_girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I got a chance to take an early look at this book. I feel like my brain got 2x bigger. I cannot recommend this enough.

It’s a hard feat to investigate how corroded American work culture is and still maintain OPTIMISM for change— but Schulte nails it. Other countries are doing it better and we can do better, too. Who doesn’t want to live a happier life— feel secure and supported in their work while also maintaining a fulfilling personal life? America can change.

Schulte has clearly done her research, but it doesn’t feel like an info-dump. She weaves in touching narratives that give a human face to her figures. I love the story of Catherine— an example of how a supportive care network can make a world of difference for those in need.

This is not a doom book— it’s not fear-mongering or apocalyptic. Schulte shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it will take some work to get there.

[Jamele (BookswithJams) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co for the gifted copy to review!

This one hit very close to home, and was an absolutely fascinating read. I listened via audio basically in one sitting, and this book really spoke to me personally. Having been laid off in September, I was lucky enough to be able to take some time off and recover from all of the symptoms mentioned in here - exhaustion, burnout, and figuring out what to do with my life that will mean something. It has taken about 3 months minimum to recover and that is wild to me, but not surprising. I don’t know why our culture (specifically American) is programmed to do the most all the time and anything less is not acceptable. We are constantly required to be accessible by employers, sending emails late at night is rewarded, and the less sleep the better. Oh and now we must be physically in office five days a week even though COVID showed remote worked just fine.

I think this is an incredibly important read, especially for those that find themselves in one or more of the above situations and are wondering what they can do to make it better.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, actually. I like the focus on the systems level, but I feel like this book spends more time documenting the problem than on how to solve it.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-spoiler alert - Work is not working for most people. This book is a deep dive into WHY. It takes on a lot of the common misconceptions, lies, and "this is the way we've always done it" messages around work (and life), and it utilizes research and examples to explain why and how it can be different. It's a heavy read as it explores some tough situations, and it also looks at systemic changes and solutions that have worked and could work. I appreciated that this explained the impact of the system on the individual versus putting all of this on the individual. It's so very important to have these conversations, and this book adds some valuable information and ideas to the mix. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this September 2024 release.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really identified personally with the content and examples in this book, which reviews in great detail the phenomenon of overworking in America (and across the world) and how we’ve gotten to this point. I particularly found interesting the exploration of karoshi, which is the Japanese term for overwork. I had no idea the Japanese country had quite possibly worse work culture than America. As more people become aware of this problem, I am hopeful that the culture will shift around the world to combat overwork and the terrible side effects it’s having on people’s health and families. I like the suggestions for change that this book provided and it really made me think about ways to improve my own work/life balance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance audio copy of this book.

[Ro U · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad that I got a chance to review this book in advance - it really hit me at the right time as someone who has been struggling with work boundaries, figuring out how to fit work into my life without letting it dominate it, and struggling with how much is my responsibility versus society's. I really liked the author's approach to distilling it all down, and with a lot of examples of how other countries approach work, and how much better it could be in America. Change feels hard - we are already tasked and saddled with so much that we feel helpless to change here, but I certainly won't give up doing my best to make the world better for myself and others. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

[Mikala]

DNF 30%, may come back to at a later date just not in the mindset for something of this nature presently. Very interesting, well researched, eye opening, inspiring. Valuable information and a high impact read.

Definitely makes me sad the deep injustice of so much of these toxic workplace cultures. As well as how far behind the USA is from so many other countries when it comes to basic human rights.

Good attention given to race and gender specific based inequalities.

[Emily Cardinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brigid Schulte’s Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life offers a compelling and urgent critique of contemporary American work culture. Through a potent combination of rigorous research and vivid storytelling, Schulte exposes the systemic flaws that have led to widespread burnout, inequality, and dissatisfaction among workers. Her book serves as a much-needed wake-up call, challenging us to reconsider the purpose of work and its impact on our lives.

The audiobook, narrated by Rachel Perry, further enhances the experience with a clear and engaging delivery, making the complex subject matter accessible and impactful. As someone who enjoys non-fiction audiobooks, I found both the narration and content to be a perfect match—earning a solid 5/5 rating from me.

Schulte addresses a broad spectrum of issues, from the undervaluation of unpaid labor, especially caregiving, to the detrimental effects of overwork on mental and physical health. The book is filled with alarming statistics and real-life examples that paint a stark picture of a work system in desperate need of reform. This is particularly relevant in a post-pandemic world where flexibility and remote work have become more prevalent, yet many of the underlying problems persist.

One of the most powerful arguments Schulte makes is that what we often perceive as individual problems, such as burnout, are actually symptoms of deeper, systemic issues that demand organizational and legislative solutions. She critiques superficial remedies like wellness programs, which do little to address the root causes of workplace stress and inequality. Instead, Schulte advocates for a fundamental redesign of how work is organized and valued, drawing on successful models from other countries and progressive companies.

Over Work is also a hopeful book, offering a vision of a future where work is not just about earning a paycheck but about achieving a meaningful, balanced life. Schulte’s insights are both a critique of the status quo and a roadmap for creating a better, more humane work environment.

If you’ve ever questioned the toll your job takes on your well-being or the broader implications of our work culture, this book is a must-read. It’s a call to action for workers, business leaders, and policymakers to rethink how we work and to build systems that prioritize well-being, fairness, and sustainability. Over Work is an essential read for anyone concerned about the future of work and the quality of life in America.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Stroop · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely compelling look at America’s work culture (or culture of overwork). Full of research and examples that illustrate problems and potential solutions. I enjoyed learning more about protocols other countries have in place for improving workplaces and work-life balance. It is easy to feel disillusioned and heartbroken while reading and so I especially appreciated the author’s hopeful tone and practical suggestions for individuals, workplaces, and policy makers. Highly recommend.

Thank you very much to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

[Caryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative while also sharing personal stories about work culture and how often it leads to burnout, depression and stress. What I liked was how the author proposed solutions and examples from other cultures about what can be steps to take to effect change rather than just slog through statistics.

[Rebecca Ditchek-Scarola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for this free ACR in exchange for an honest and fair review. I adored this book. I would have liked listening to it as an audiobook but we can’t always win. I’m sure it is an excellent audiobook for purchase! Over Work is a perfect book for these post-Covid times. As I always say to my boss, the veil has been lifted and work culture will never be the same. Everything from unpredictable schedules wrecking havoc on retail workers, to work “perks” like yoga attempting to sweeten the pot for underpaid employees, to unpaid work involved in child care, income inequity from state to state, unionization, the list of interesting and apropos topics goes on. READ THIS BOOK. Truly it is a sociology professors dream book. I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long time and you will too when you read it.

[Nicci Obert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent presentation of the story of the present state of work, an array of possible futures of work, and practical steps for how to realize preferred futures. The author weaves personal narrative, rigorous research, and tangible imagination into a narrative that compels the reader to desire to act. Impressively rigorous and readable.

[Ashleigh Lemelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is highly informative and well researched. There is so much data in this book to support the arguments of a more sustainable society with the reduction of stressors. This book is not telling Readers that they shouldn't work and that work is not important. This book is however, telling people that work is not our entire life and should not be treated as such. There needs to be a balance between work and living life which there is evidently not right now. With 40+ hour work weeks we are left with minimal time for family, friends, self care, socialization, etc. which are all important to the individual self. The book gives a lot of great suggestions on how to mitigate these issues and puts a lot of the onus on the companies and governments throughout the world. They need to start passing legislation and working for the greater good. My only complaint about the book is that it does invoke a feeling of hopelessness because you have to rely so heavily on the entities that allowed work to become the way it is. There's not so much that you can do as an individual other than some of the recommendations at the end of the book like writing to legislators, working with good companies, unions, etc. I wish that I could address more of what the individual person can do to overcome the overwork that's happening. I did receive this as an advanced reader 's copy in an audio format. Thank you to netgalley for the chance to review this insightful work.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR Please read this book if you are a policy maker or lawmaker. Please read this book if you are unhappy at your job, or you think other people should be unhappy at their jobs, and that makes them somehow morally superior through suffering.

This is one of the finest books I have ever read on the business of work itself. It takes a realistic and compassionate look at how work works for most Americans, while it also takes a couple of sidetracks into Japan, Scotland, and Iceland.

Schulte an extraordinary job of looking at why we all hate our jobs, but more importantly, why we think we have to. Or perhaps more accurately, why we think it’s just the way things have to be. She looks at how caretakers have what seems like infinite pressures on them, with little to no support from a work industry concerned only with the bottom line. But then she goes further. She talks about taking care of. Workers is actually good for the bottom line.

I would like a follow-up book on WHY bosses and lawmakers reject progress, when study after study show that more compassionate work laws and rules—things that are good for the employee—are actually BETTER for bottom line. Why do we try these positive changes, see drastic improvement to quality of work and profits, and yet still go back to the old way of doing things? Why?

The book closes with a couple of useful appendices, including ways to improve your own work life, and how to solve work stress. There’s also some notes on dealing with lawmakers and things you can do if you are a lawmaker or policymaker.

I did get a pre-publication copy so there is no index or coherent bibliography, but the extensive notes section is exemplary.

I did receive this book for free from the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Kendra]

Lots of content to chew on! This book explores overwork culture, the root causes and suggests ideas to shift our collective mindsets (personal, corporate and government) to valuing people over the institution of work. I listened, so I didn’t see whether the many studies the author claimed as support for the various arguments were cited. I’d love to explore more on the topic: as a manager in the work environment it challenged me to consider my role in creating “good work”, and also raised a lot of questions!

[Annikky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fine, just not particularly groundbreaking. And as it’s centred on the US, the solution is usually to be more like Europe. Which is not wrong, but not very interesting for a European to read. I did find it mildly irritating that the book leaves an impression that overwork and other work-related issues do not exist in Europe, but I also realise that it’s a question of perspective and broadly speaking, things are worse in the US (especially when it comes to regulation).

PS Whoever was doing the fact-checking for this book: no Italian would ever sip cappuccino IN THE AFTERNOON!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good information but a bit repetitive - just so glad to be done haha

[Tetiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I was called out for thinking too much about work :( useful book anyway, at least makes you reevaluate what is going on on your work. And how the work changed during and after pandemic. Huge focus on US laws, which might not be applicable for the rest of the world.

[booksbymonth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad state of the world when over Work is expected in so many countries and companies. The stress of this is shown throughout this book. Very interesting and informative book about over work culture and even how it can be changed.

Thanks goodreads for the ARC!

[Mylissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy of this self help book about the culture of "overworking" or being "busy" in a post Covid era. I am a corporate girlie so I found this topic and the interviews/data provided in this non-fiction book to be relatable and useful. I found myself pausing often to take notes. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was done well. I think this will be a must-read self help/business book in 2024.

[Kimberly Mccune · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the premise of this book and the research that went into it, but the large walls of text and repetitive nature meant I was never anxious to pick it back up after putting it down.

[Robin Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

This was a well written book that was very easy to read. It does have lots of facts and figures sprinkled throughout, but they are well placed so as not to make your eyes cross. There were also many good suggestions on finding solutions.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overwork

I feel like every time I start a nonfiction book it ends up being different than what I was expecting. While very interesting and thought-inducing, this book was more of a research paper – or, as I now understand of the author, an in-depth journalism piece – than a self-help book. And this part was definitely on me, not on the part of the author, but I kept sort of waiting to hear more things about how I, as someone who has a hard time not working or values herself often based on work output, could start to think differently. There are many ways this book succeeded in that, but in a more roundabout way than I was expecting. I saw one review that said this book was more about documenting the problem than on how to solve it, and I think that’s maybe what I’m getting at here. Second, I feel like I didn’t necessarily learn anything new – turns out a lot of the solutions are things we know can work but there’s just a lack of willingness to get there, which is depressing. So a lot of this was just me being like “oh yeah, there’s no way that’s going to be happening anytime soon.” Still, I think there’s a lot of value in exploring these ideas and talking about them. And I really appreciate how the author, who has done a lot of research on other countries and how they are tackling the problem of “over work,” explicitly points out that she understands that each country has a different history and not everything can be applied in the same way. But essentially, how are we supposed to tackle a problem we don’t talk about? So I appreciate the book in that regard. This book was also written after the COVID-19 pandemic, which of course put a whole new layer of complexity into work life. The author discussed a lot of how work life changed for people – home was no longer a place where you didn’t really work. And there were tools that some businesses used to track work – but not necessary productivity; just whether or not you were at your computer. The emphasis on measuring if work is getting done vs just BEING at work is an important conversation going on in this book. The pandemic really messed things up for people and how they think about work. Another great point being made in this book is the lack of childcare resources that parents have and how if there’s no child care, or especially affordable childcare, it can be hard for people to keep their jobs. Investing in that is important. I also appreciated the stories that the author embedded in her research from real people, including the family in Japan who lost their daughter to overwork – they even have a word for it; “karoshi,” and there are some laws surrounding it. Another story that stuck out to me were the ones from the overwork support group for people who basically had a hard time not working. There are a lot of stories of people who struggle, so at the very least if you struggle with overworking, you know you’re not alone. And there was a lot on basically how America sucks in terms of leave policies. Some other countries do a much better job of providing that time off, and some have even piloted 4-day work weeks. There was this appendix at the end of the book where there was actually a literal list of things you – the individual – could do to prevent getting burned out and that list was more of what I was expecting of the book, but nothing on that list was new to me. So overall, I sort of admittedly got bored through some of this book, and nothing was particularly groundbreaking to me, but I do appreciate the research and thought the author put into making this book, and I’m glad I read it.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

extensively researched description of how stressful and unsatisfying work can be. A lot of it is stuff you've heard before (pointlessness of "working" incredibly long hours when a decent chunk of that is just performative "face time" to show the boss you're a go-getter; damage to physical and psychological health associated with just-in-time shift-work scheduling; devaluing of traditionally feminized contributions such as caregiving; absurdity of job-lock created by post-WWII tethering of health insurance to your job..........), but she does a nice job of laying it out in detail and moving back and forth from the anecdotal/individual level to the macroeconomic/governmental big picture

Field trips to Japan (for a chapter on karoshi, the phenomenon of work-related deaths incl. suicides) and Iceland (for an experiment on mandated shorter-hours work weeks) were informative as well, as were a few digressions to US history (e.g., how we adapted to not needing nearly so many farmers by investing in land-grant institutions and requiring kids to be in school, so why couldn't we adapt to ongoing tech revolutions similarly by investing in people instead of just leaving them to fend for themselves in gig economy?).

Two things kept it from 5 stars for me: (a) writing style. She's clear and persuasive, but pretty dry and humorless [to be more fair, her humor isn't a match for my sense of humor], so on a number of points it could get to be a slog to finish a given chapter once i understood main point and realized i agree with her. (b) in my reading didn't do a good enough job of analyzing where the resistance would come to most of her proposed solutions, to wit that much higher taxes would be needed, and nobody would get very rich. Ok with me, but i think we have evidence that it's not ok with a decent proportion of US electorate

[Julie Houseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from a 3.5.
Over Work probably isn’t the most engaging book I’ve ever read, but it was incredibly informative. I really liked that this book didn’t just focus on one class or subset of the American workforce, but that instead, she discusses the challenges faced by numerous types of workers. From discussing a doctor who committed suicide due to the pressure and feeling of futility during the pandemic to an hourly worker trying to balance the responsibilities of an inconsistent schedule and the need for childcare, Schulte highlights how all American workers have struggles.
She provides suggestions for improvement as well such as flexible hybrid work structures, unionization, the four day work week (my personal favorite), and a regular schedule for those working in retail. As much as I appreciated these suggestions, I did feel Schulte oversimplified the ease in shifting some of our beliefs about work. I also enjoyed the chapters about both Japan and Iceland, which reflected how different other countries view work culture– some, like Japan, for the worse and others, like Iceland, for the better.
Overall, an interesting although sometimes overly idealistic read!

[Jamie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because I was feeling incredibly overwhelmed by work and the three major things I volunteer for (two boards and the PTA). Throw in family and household management and I was literally shaking in a corned wrapped in a blanket one day.
A big part of it for me is the lack of boundaries between work and home. Because we can work from home, we are expected to, even during our off hours. I was getting calls when I was meeting with people running for the school board. I was getting calls when trying to clean up my yard and winterize my house. I do not want work leaking into my life like that.
This book is packed with information about all this stuff. It covers the gender work gap during the pandemic, the issue of caregiver support, historical work issues, and all the classics.
It is a longer book than I usually read to make myself feel better about my life but I appreciated all the information! I am thinking about buying it as an audiobook and listening to it at work.

[Kristin Kirkland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like the book wasn’t really what it was described to be, it focused too much on care giver rights and inequality and the solutions provided I feel were a sentence or two compared to the hundreds of pages of examples of common knowledge, and I feel the solutions are very hard to apply to jobs where you are on call and there is no stability and you can’t control when the next emergency is going to come in. There was a lot of unanswered questions, I felt like I had a lot of points and arguments I could bring up that could be rebuttled and needed to be addressed, it was very one-sided, which I feel like you need to report both sides for it to be fair. Sure it would be very great if we could all live the Sweden way, but the whole point of the book was we can’t get there without making a change and we can’t get there without solutions and the solutions where so wishy-washy. Overall, just disappointed and wasn’t what I thought the book was going to be about in general.

[Julia B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you Netgalley for the eARC*

Overwork is a truly eye opening book on what work has evolved to within the United States, where working to the point of burnout is glorified and praised. Schulte goes deep into telling the stories from people of all backgrounds and ethnicities, and the socioeconomic problems they have navigated in the enragingly frustrating economy, within, and outside of their workplaces.

It is a timeline of facts, paired with the brutal realities of the too expensive childcare and its underpaid workers, harrowing treatment of employees and the compensation they are given, as well as families barely getting by to survive.

A fantastic non-fiction book that puts on a greater perspective on the deteriorating economy and work ethics that a majority of the U.S. (and the West)is refuses to acknowledge.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this book 4 stars because I think the topic is so important. Schulte is so good at explaining how our society undervalues the hidden work of caregiving that keeps our economy running. She also does an excellent job of showing how our productivity-focused society is creating a nation of haves and have-nots.

My only hesitation in recommending this book to others is that it's aimed at a specific audience -- the people who have the power to make change, including corporate leaders, government officials, those with means & status. Unfortunately, I'm not the target audience. I can complain constantly (and I do) about how the working world is stacked against mothers & caregivers. But my voice isn't welcome or invited in the room where decisions are made.

I truly hope the world of work is more fair for my daughter and Gen Alpha.