Is burnout simply the cost of doing business? What responsibility do employers have for the health and well-being of their workers? Jeffrey Pfeffer, the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of Dying for a Paycheck and 7 Rules of Power, says that the connection between workplace stress and negative health outcomes is as strong as the link between smoking and cancer — and may contribute to as many as 120,000 deaths annually in the U.S. alone.

So what do we do about it? 

Pfeffer’s answer isn’t just surprising — it’s a radical critique of the way we work today.

This episode features Sundance Scardino, a retired para-rescue specialist, firefighter, and paramedic.

Is it time to rethink the way we work? Email us at ifthenpod@stanford.edu. 

This conversation was recorded on September 10, 2024.

Related Links:

• Jeffrey Pfeffer faculty profile
• “The Workplace Is Killing People and Nobody Cares”
• “We Have 30 Extra Years”: A New Way of Thinking About Aging
• Why “Copycat” Layoffs Won’t Help Tech Companies — Or Their Employees

If/Then is a podcast from Stanford Graduate School of Business that examines research findings that can help us navigate the complex issues we face in business, leadership, and society. Each episode features an interview with a Stanford GSB faculty member.

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