HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss

CHAPTER 26

Make Work Less Stressful and More Engaging

by Natalia Peart

We all know that excessive stress is a health hazard. What is less talked about are the effects of burnout on business performance. Stress makes people nearly three times as likely to leave their jobs, temporarily impairs strategic thinking, and dulls creative abilities.¹ Burnout, then, is a threat to your bottom line, one that costs the United States more than $300 billion a year in absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity, and medical, legal, and insurance costs.²

The more companies realize this, the more the workplace wellness sector grows. But individual-level perks like on-site gyms and nap rooms are not the answer to our problem. In a 2019 study, researchers Zirui ...