Working long hours
Does working long hours qualify the person to be a workaholic? I decided to look up the Internet for the answer. I am glad I found it. A Dutch study done in 2010 and published in the Harvard Business Review in 2018 had the answer and more. [1] The link is: https://hbr.org/2018/03/how-being-a-workaholic-differs-from-working-long-hours-and-why-that-matters-for-your-health
Dutch study reported in Harvard Business Review in 2018
To unravel the difference between behavior (working long hours) and mentality (a compulsion to work, or what we call workaholism), two researchers Lieke ten Brummelhuis and Nancy P Rothbard conducted a study in 2010 at the Dutch subsidiary of an international financial consulting firm with over 3,500 employees.
They asked employees to complete a survey and then sign up for a health screening conducted by medical staff. Seven hundred and sixty-three completed both. The term “workaholic” was coined in 1971 by minister and psychologist Wayne E Oates, who described workaholism as “the compulsion or the uncontrollable need to work incessantly” [2] https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2016/04/workaholism
Relating to work positively and correctly
Many persons are able to work long hours (typically more than the 40 hours a week) but are not mentally preoccupied with work i.e., they are able to forget about work the minute they decide they have done enough for the day. These people feel fulfilled and fall asleep easily. In the morning they feel refreshed for a new workday. They are relating to work positively and correctly. They are not workalcholics.
Relating to work compulsively
Workaholics are persons who “struggle to psychologically detach from work… the ongoing rumination often goes together with stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems”. These impede recovery from work. “Stress levels in workaholics are therefore often chronic, which leads to ongoing wear and tear on the body.” [1]
Does it matter if workaholics love their work?
Enjoying work does mitigate the negative health effects of workaholism. Nevertheless they still have negative outcomes of more psychosomatic health complaints (e.g., headache, stomach problems) and mental health complaints (e.g., sleep problems, depressive feelings).
It is true that engaged workaholics are better off than non-engaged workaholics — these have a 4.2% higher risk of metabolic syndrome (weight problems, high low density cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and diabetes). Non-engaged workaholics are more likely to work for extrinsic motivators such as money and status.
What can be done?
Both engaged (those who enjoy their work or found their work meaningful) and non-engaged workaholics (those who are motivated by money and status) need counselling help. Ultimately, the challenge is for others to help them to focus on their engagement and learn the ability to “switch off” to be happy at work and outside of it. [1]
Take home messages
Working long hours by itself is not workaholism. Such people are able to switch off the minute they leave their work for the day; they are relating to their work positively and correctly. Those who have a compulsion to work hard and feel restless when they are not working are by definition workaholics; and they can be helped to relate to their work correctly.
References for further reading
- Lieke ten Brummelhuis and Nancy P Rothbard. How Being a Workaholic Differs from Working Long Hours — and Why That Matters for Your Health. Harvard Business Review 2018-03-22. Accessed 2021-10-25. URL: https://hbr.org/2018/03/how-being-a-workaholic-differs-from-working-long-hours-and-why-that-matters-for-your-health
- Malissa A Clarke. Workaholism: It’s not just long hours on the job. https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2016/04/workaholism
Dr LG Goh
Dr GOH Lee Gan is a retired Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, National University Health System. He has an interest in learning and teaching how we can age well everyday (AWE).
