Despite the increasing prevalence of intense work demands (Brown, 2012), this phenomenon has garnered limited attention in the literature. Drawing on prior conceptualizations of work intensity (Burke et al., 2010; Green, 2004), we define work intensity as a job demand that reflects the required pace, effort, and affective energy to perform work tasks and duties. Specifically, work intensity is a distinct albeit under-researched construct that reflects aspects of both quantitative (i.e., the amount of work that one must complete) and qualitative (i.e., the mental difficulty associated with work activities) workload. While work intensity research is nascent, the research that has examined the impact of work intensity on employee outcomes has resulted in mixed findings (Burke et al., 2010; Hewlett and Luce, 2006). For example, Burke et al. (2010) show that work intensity is related to more hours worked, higher job stress, and a higher workload. In contrast, Hewlett and Luce (2006) report that employees who work intense work hours often report that they love their job and enjoy the thrill of their challenging work. These mixed results underscore the need for a better understanding of this phenomenon to help HRM practitioners effectively manage work intensity. In response, the purpose of this paper is to understand how, why, and under what conditions work intensity influences employee outcomes. In particular, this research proposes a conditional indirect effect model that examines the moderating role of psychological detachment in the relationship between work intensity and life satisfaction via emotional exhaustion. Drawing on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model (Demerouti et al., 2001), we posit that work intensity consumes significant personal resources, thereby leading to emotional exhaustion. Exhausted employees have few personal resources to expend on non-work activities and in turn do not feel satisfied with their life. The impact of work intensity on employee outcomes is important to examine because a dearth of research focuses on the potential negative outcomes of work intensity, but also because life satisfaction has been shown to have spillover effects on job attitudes and behaviors (Erdogan et al., 2012). These objectives enable HRM researchers not only to better understand the effects of the growing trend of work intensity on employee outcomes, but this research also provides HRM practitioners with specific guidance on how to address work intensity to ensure positive employee experiences in the workplace. Moreover, this research examines the moderating role of psychological detachment because studies have shown that temporary detachment from work can have powerful effects in terms of helping employees to recover from stressful work experiences (Sonnentag and Fritz, 2015). In doing so, this research highlights the importance of practically creating an environment that embraces psychological detachment by HRM practitioners for all employees.