Workaholism: What It Is And Preventing It In Your Life And Workplace

More than eight out of ten employees are at risk of burnout this year, according to the 2024 Global Talent Trends report published by Mercer, an HR consulting firm, and excessive workload is one of the top contributing factors. Malissa Clark is the author of Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture is Bad for Business—And How to Fix It and the Head of the Healthy Work Lab at the University of Georgia. As a research practitioner, Malissa joins me in the desire to see healthy workplaces where well-being thrives. I hope our conversation on workaholism will help you in your journey and workplace. Pre-pandemic research has found that almost half of Americans see themselves as workaholics. 

Rachel Montañez: How do you define workaholism?

Malissa Clark: It's a compulsion that drives us to work excessively. 

There are four dimensions.

Behavioral

Working longer than what is expected or required.

Motivational

Feeling like you "ought to" or need to always be working.

Emotional

Feeling negative emotions when you are not working or when you are prevented from working, such as anxiety, guilt, or frustration.

Thoughts

Constantly thinking about work, which includes constantly ruminating about and/or being distracted by your work-related thoughts when you are "off the clock." 

Montañez: In your book, you discuss the myths of being a workaholic. To help build awareness so individuals can prevent it in their lives, can you share three myths?

Clark: 

There are "good types" of workaholics.

There is a pervasive belief that if you love your work, you are protected from the negative effects of workaholism. 

Studies have found that regardless of levels of work engagement, those reporting greater workaholism had higher depressive feelings, sleep problems, health complaints, and lower recovery. Other studies have found any positive effects of work engagement were effectively eliminated if the individual was also a workaholic. 

Workaholism is limited to certain occupations.

It's widespread across all industries and most occupations—academia, law, medicine, sales, marketing, consulting, IT, retail, manufacturing, you name it.

Workaholics are more productive.

I conducted a meta-analysis examining correlates of workaholism, one of which is its relationship with job performance. I found a non-significant relationship between the two. 

Overall, there are various reasons why workaholics are not the top performers. A key reason is that they tend to overextend themselves and don't leave time to recover. They tend to work more, not smarter. Another thing that negatively affects their performance is that they often can be difficult teammates and bosses, setting unrealistic timelines and causing unnecessary stress. Additionally, workaholism has been linked to decreased work engagement over time. 

Montañez: What should leaders be mindful of to prevent a culture of workaholism in the workplace? 

Clark: Pay attention to the signals your organization (and you, as a leader) may be signaling about what is valued and rewarded in the organization. 

For example:

  1. How do new employees learn how things are actually done around the office? 

  2. Are employees taught to be in before the boss and to not leave until after the boss leaves? 

  3. Who is being rewarded in the organization, and what are the reasons for the recognition? 

  4. Are the organizational stars the ones who pull all-nighters and prioritize work over family, who spend many, many hours in the office? 

Montañez: What are two steps leaders can take to address a culture of overwork? 

Be good role models for employees. Show your employees it's okay to fully disconnect during vacation by not responding to emails (and also use that vacation time!). Leave work early for your kid's soccer game and embrace this instead of hiding it. 

Secondly, re-examine your team's communication patterns and look for ways to break the cycle of responsiveness. For example, have you gotten in the habit of texting employees or emailing after hours? Instead, schedule send that email so it arrives during work hours. Respect your employees' boundaries. Reward working smarter, not longer. 

Montañez: Let's draw to an end with your vision for the future of workaholism. 

Clark:

Reduce the number of hours in a workweek. 

Technology continues to help increase our efficiency and accomplish our tasks in less time. However, we have been stuck with the idea of a 40-hour, 5-day workweek for a century. In 1926, Henry Ford's introduction of the five-day workweek was seen as radical. Currently, the same can be said about the 4-day week movement. Perhaps it's not so radical after all, but it's long overdue. 

Focus on output instead of input. 

Stop using long hours as a measure of good performance. 

Reinvent what the ideal worker is. 

We currently view the ideal worker as someone who prioritizes work above everything else puts in long hours and is always available no matter the day or time. Let's celebrate employees who produce good product but also take care of themselves and their well-being. Let's celebrate those who work smarter, not longer. 

In closing, I'll end with the words of Jenna Glover, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer at Headspace. "As leaders, it's critical that we encourage employees to … set aside time to reset. With a clear mind, employees are better equipped to be creative, come up with unique insights that fuel the business, and ultimately be more productive."

This article was first published on Forbes.com.

Rachel Montañez