Workers are more concerned these days with how to balance the responsibilities of their jobs and their personal lives. Carrie Oelberger, assistant professor of leadership and management at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, researches work-life conflict and the challenge of navigating the boundaries between work and home.
"The more meaningful someone finds their work, the harder it will be for them to erect those boundaries," she says.
Rather than placing the burden solely on individuals, Oelberger argues that employers have a responsibility to encourage healthy work practices—especially if there's an existing organizational culture that encourages over-work.
"If we're retaining workers that are deeply personally discontented then that has really negative outcomes both for the workers and for the organizations."
