Routledge Worker Voices and Psychological Health: Pressures in the Modern Workplace

Worker Voices and Psychological Health brings together research-based evidence with worker testimonies to show how modern working life shapes psychological wellbeing. The book begins with a selective history of work and a clear explanation of wellbeing that integrates hedonic (feeling good) and eudaimonic (meaning and purpose) perspectives. It goes on to trace how work has changed, clarifying what psychological wellbeing really means, and showing how job demands, autonomy, resources and support shape stress, work life balance and work performance. First-person accounts from a diverse range of job holders, including those in senior management, administrative roles, skilled trades, caring and service work, operatives, and elementary occupations, reveal the everyday pressures and practical conditions that help workers cope, recover and thrive. Looking ahead to a future AI-enabled economy, the book concludes by considering those jobs that may be at risk, and those that are likely to evolve and flourish. Grounded in the words of real workers and connecting psychosocial factors with the day-to-day realities of working life, the book will appeal to anyone interested in the contemporary workplace, including students of organisational psychology, health psychology, occupational health, mental health, and human resource management, as well as professionals in these fields.