Questions and Fast Answers on the Workaholic

Are you working too hard, and too often?

Q: You put in 12 to 14 hours a day at the office and often work on weekends and at home.  Some people have joked that you are a “workaholic” … even that it’s a serious problem.  Is it?  How can you tell?

A: Chances are you’re a workaholic if you feel compelled to work for the sake of working, and you feel panic, anxiety or a sense of loss when you aren’t working.  The workaholic is “addicted to incessant activity…. The behavior continues even if the worker is told that it is personally harmful, even to the quality of work.

Q: Is workaholism really a disease, like alcoholism?

A: Opinions differ on whether such unhealthy behavior … can be considered an actual addition.  But more mental health professionals now consider workaholism a condition that can cause both mental and physical damage …. One problem is that people are praised and rewarded for working excessively.  That almost never happens with addictions.

Q: Are certain types of people more prone to workaholism than others?

A: Most workaholics are either perfectionists, have a need for control of a combination of both traits. …. Working too hard can also be a way to escape from a bad relationship or to make up for an absence in one’s personal life.

Q: What are some of the dangers of working too hard?

A: The stress that goes along with working too much has been shown to lead to substance abuse, sleep disorders, anxiety and ultimately physical problems like heart disease.

Q: What’s the difference between workaholism and working very hard?

A: The non-workaholic knows how to set boundaries …. Many of us at various times in our life have to work very long hours, but we have the internal regulator that says, “this has gone on long enough”.  The workaholic feels bereft without that constant activity.

Q: What are some signs of workaholism?

A: If several people close to you say they feel neglected by you because of your work …. And if you regularly conceal from family members that you are working … you may have a problem.

Q: Is technology making workaholism worse?

A: No question.  People are now able to consult BlackBerrys on the sidewalk and in restaurants, and go online at home and during vacation.  In addition to assuming that the person who spends the most time in the office is the best employee, we may also think that “the person most willing to be connected 24/7” is the most valuable.

Q: Do workaholics accomplish more than people who work fewer hours?

A: Often, they don’t.  That is because, as perfectionists, they may become so fixated on inconsequential details that they find it hard to move on to the next task. … They’re not looking for ways to be more efficient; they’re just looking for ways to always have more work to do.      Most companies think that they are benefiting from a workaholic’s long hours, even if it is at the worker’s expense. …. In fact, workaholism can harm the company as well as the worker.

Q: How can workaholism harm a company?

A: In addition to discouraging efficiency, it can put enormous stress on co-workers.  If the workaholic is a manager, he or she may expect long hours from subordinates, may force them to try to meet impossible standards, then rush in to save the day when the work is deemed substandard. …. The person may look like a hero, coming in to solve crisis after crisis, when in fact the crises could have been avoided.  Sometimes, the workaholic ay have unwittingly created the problems to provide the endless thrill of more work.

Q: What steps can a person take to stop working too hard?

A: The behavior can be extraordinarily hard to change. …. People will go through withdrawal.  In addition, an employer could perceive the workaholic’s reduced work hours and curtain accessibility as a drop in performance. … In that case, it may be necessary to request a new assignment or a transfer within the company. …. That is why professional help, or at least the active support of family members and friends, may be needed to turn the tide.

by Phyllis Korkki NY Times News Service, excerpted from Taipei Times