WOLFVILLE — A $1.4-million Canada Research Chair grant will help Acadia University psychologist Dr. Michael Leiter continue his quest to help people find well-being and fulfilment at work.

Leiter’s research initiative is one of 132 newly awarded or renewed Canada Research chairs at 36 Canadian post-secondary institutions. Total funding of $124.5 million was announced in Ottawa last fall.

"People still experience burn-out at work," Leiter said from the Acadia campus on Saturday. "It’s very much there."

He said workers are overextending themselves because of workplace pressures and relinquishing private time at home.

"People become chronically tired," Leiter said. "They get over cynical and this saps the spirit of the team at work."

The grant will be dispersed to Acadia at a rate of $200,000 per year for the next seven years. This allows Acadia to reduce Leiter’s teaching time in organizational psychology and increase his research time. The new grant is a continuation of a seven-year term now coming to an end.

Leiter’s research is already being used in hospitals and nursing homes across the country. Leiter, who also organizes workplace surveys and workshops, said improving the quality of relationships of people in day-to-day life is reducing burn-out.

The energy and enthusiasm of employees is a precious resource that good managers need to support and cherish, he said, adding, "if they don’t, workers are going to burn out."

Leiter, who interacts with people in many other countries on this issue, said his team does some of the top research in the world on workplace burnout.