Welcome to WorkWell Podcast. Today we tackle why work is making us miserable—and what needs to change.

Recent research highlights our changing relationship with work. It’s about more than hours at the office or on Zoom. It’s about the psychosocial work environment—the structures and experiences that affect our emotional well-being.

Three core conditions drive how we feel on Monday mornings:

First, autonomy: the control we have over our tasks and schedules. Too little, and we feel overwhelmed and powerless; too much, and we end up always on call. We need enough flexibility to feel empowered without drowning in responsibility.

Second, boundary management: separating work from personal life. In our hybrid world, blurred lines lead to constant pings and anxiety. Clear, predictable boundaries give us freedom that’s empowering, not exploitative.

Third, precarity: stability and security. Job insecurity creates harmful uncertainty, fueling stress in and out of work.

Before burnout or quiet quitting, pause and ask: How does work make me feel? What causes those feelings? As one study notes, “workers are more likely to thrive when they have autonomy that feels like control rather than abandonment, and flexibility and clarity that allows for a good work-life balance.”

Employers and employees must ensure control, clarity, and security if work is ever to stop making us miserable. Thanks for listening.
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