Black and white banner image of Lieke ten Brummelhuis with the SFU Burnaby Campus blurred out in the background. Text in the top left corner says, "President's Faculty Lecture". In the top right, there is an SFU Public Square logo. In the bottom left it says, "Work Hard Play Hard".

Lieke ten Brummelhuis | Work Hard, Play Hard: The Role of Recovery After Work

2021, Future of Work, PFL 2020-2021, President's Faculty Lectures

Work stress is not a novelty; in the past decade, research has shown that about half of Canadians experience stress on a daily basis. On top of the usual stressors, the pandemic brought stress to new levels for many.

In this lecture, I explained how stress develops on a regular work day, and how stress levels can be brought back to their baseline to prevent health and productivity issues. I then discussed what happens if stress becomes ongoing, either due to pressures from work, or due to an inner drive to work hard (workaholism). I unveil the key role of recovery after work to stay happy and productive at work, and wrap up with practical tips for employers and employees.

— Lieke ten Brummelhuis

Tue, 09 Mar 2021

Online Event

The President's Faculty Lectures

The President’s Faculty Lectures shine a light on the research excellence at Simon Fraser University. Hosted by the SFU president, these free public lectures celebrate cutting-edge research and faculty that engage with communities and mobilize knowledge to make real-world impacts.

Lieke ten Brummelhuis

Lieke ten Brummelhuis' headshot

Lieke ten Brummelhuis is an Associate Professor of Management and Organization Studies at SFU’s Beedie School of Business. She received her Ph.D. in organizational sociology from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Lieke’s research interests are related to employee well-being, including employee recovery, workaholism, work-life balance and flexible work designs. She is motivated to find an answer to the question of why people work in the way they do, and what work styles improve work outcomes, work-life balance and well-being. Her work has been published in academic journals such as American PsychologistJournal of Applied Psychology and Harvard Business Review.

Event Summary

Work Hard, Play Hard: Reflections on a Lecture on Stress, Recovery and Resilience in the Workplace

By Matthew Chan, MBA, SFU Beedie School of Business

On March 9, Professor Lieke ten Brummelhuis of SFU’s Beedie School of Business delivered a virtual lecture as part of SFU's 2021 President's Faculty Lectures on the theme of resilience and recovery. With the accelerated shift to work-from-home arrangements during the pandemic, Lieke’s lecture was timely for many, including myself, as the lines between work and personal life have become increasingly blurred. 

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Event Recording

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In the News

Work intensification' during pandemic adds dimension to workaholism — Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun (March 5, 2021)

Work-life balance suffers under COVID-19 pandemic — John Ackermann, CityNews (March 3, 2021)

2020/2021 President's Faculty Lectures

Past President's Faculty Lectures