WORKAHOLISM

Human beings are endowed with innate (from within), urges to attain goals or to satisfy needs that are important to our well-being and survival. These are referred to as ‘drives’. Examples of drives include hunger which propels us to seek out food and thirst which compels us to guzzle copious amounts of liquid on hot, humid days or as a complement to our meals. Occupation through work (paid or unpaid), enables us to fulfil our basic physical needs for food, clothing and shelter and basic emotional needs for fulfilment, purpose and usefulness. As our Creator pronounced, this is very good!

However, as has been the experience of many, our drives can be to our detriment, if allowed to operate out of control. For example, if you are always hungry and always eating, as surely as morning follows evening, you will experience digestive and other health issues. So too if you are always occupied with work, even in your sleep, it possibly will take over your very existence and have various social, emotional, physiological and psychological implications. In this scenario, you may be dealing with a condition described as workaholism.

What is Workaholism?

The term workaholism originated with minister and psychologist Wayne Oates in 1971. He describes it as “the compulsion or the uncontrollable need to work incessantly (Oates, 1971). Workaholism is a combination of ‘work’ and ‘alcohol’. Interesting, don’t you think? When I heard the term, pictures of drunkards staggering along came to mind – can work induce such a state? Can one be drunk with work?

Who is a Workaholic?

Work is the ‘drug’ of a workaholic. A person imbibing this ‘drug’ works at the cost of sleep, his/her health, family and other relationships. Workaholics feel compelled to work, whether or not they enjoy the work they are doing. Research, suggests that even after the excessive work has the impact described, the workaholic continues with incessant work-related activities and this affects all spheres of the individual’s life.

The workaholics work-life:

At work the workaholic’s compulsion to work maybe because of internal pressures which may include:

a) Emotional issues such as guilt, anxiety, anger, disappointment, and fear;

b) Personality traits such as perfectionism, which is a refusal to accept any standard short of perfection; a Type A personality which is usually very competitive and work-obsessed and narcissism which indicates excessive vanity.

c) Egomania which is an excessive devotion to work, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

There is little or no job satisfaction

There is high job stress

The workaholic may struggle with counterproductive work behaviours like tardiness, theft, fraud, sexual harassment, work bullyism, absenteeism (the practice of regularly staying away from work without good reason) or presenteeism (the practice of being present for more hours than required or being present but not productive; workplace aggression and sabotage.

Not surprisingly, career prospects are very good for the workaholic. However, workaholism and job performance are not significantly related. Work performance may be mediocre as even though a workaholic spends an inordinate amount of time working and/or thinking

The workaholics home life:

• Intimacy avoidance or a fear of sharing close physical or emotional relationships. This leads to little or no relationship satisfaction.
• Little or no family functioning or satisfaction
• Marital disaffection, the marital relationship is marked by an increasing sense of apathy (don’t care) and emotional detachment.
• High home and work conflict.
• No detachment from work. The workaholic takes work to bed at night and gets up entangled with it every morning.

At the individual level:

• Dissatisfaction with life in general
• Overall burnout
• Emotional exhaustion
• Cynicism (highly suspicious and distrustful)
• Declining physical health
• Declining emotional and mental health

Technology Aids Workaholism

Much like alcoholism, workaholism is an addiction. Technology and the emerging nature of work, especially in light of the strictures of the current Covid 19 pandemic, maybe reinforcing work addiction. Technological advances such as smartphones, company-supplied devices and computer network capabilities, have allowed employees potentially unlimited access to work. Changes in where work occurs, for example, from home, further blur the distinction between work and home. I have a friend who has not come out of his pyjamas for months. He simply rolls out of his bed each morning and is instantly at work. He is quite happy with that arrangement, but should he be?

Implications for the Organization

Organizations on a whole love workaholics. They think that they are highly beneficial to their enterprise. They view them as model employees who go the extra mile and are always there, at all hours, to answer every call. Even though workaholics are valued, research has shown that they have difficulty working as part of a team. They have trouble delegating or trusting co-workers and may incur problems for the organization by taking on too much work at once. Additionally, workaholics are usually sleep deprived which leads to impaired brain and cognitive functioning. Think of the strain these issues will put on the company’s health insurance and other life-related benefits. Premiums, fees, etc., will increase as workaholics will incur costs to deal with increasing health and life issues.

Organizations should examine whether they intentionally or unintentionally encourage workaholism. Unlike other addictions it is highly socially acceptable, admired, emulated and rewarded by higher pay, promotions and more work. Workaholics are always on call and this is expected of other workers by undiscerning employers. Employees receive mixed messages from the mouths of their bosses who say work-life balance and relaxation is important but their actions are a different matter. A word of caution: the business risks of workaholism is underestimated. Watch out for the deleterious effects to your business!

Spiritual Implications of Workaholism

I have heard people boasting of being workaholics. I suggest though that it is not a complimentary lifestyle or one that someone should attain to. Let me explain. Matthew 12:29 states “…how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.” A workaholic is bound/tied up with work. He has little or no time for himself, anyone or anything else. While the cat’s away (even if he is working hard), the mice will play. Do you know what’s happening at home while you are working away? Do you know where your wife or children are? How they are managing? In the case of a man, how will you explain this abdication of your role and responsibility to God? A man is supposed to be the head of his household. Many undesirable things have happened to the children of absentee fathers – absent at work. In the case of a woman, How will you find the time for nurturing your husband and/or children? Who will make your house into a home? How will you explain this abdication of your role and responsibility to God?

You might say, I am single. It’s ok if I work all the time, no one is affected! In this my friend you are wrong. You are affected, your health, your relationship with God, your relationship with yourself, your relationship with the family of God and others. You will not find the time to nurture a vibrant relationship with God because you are always working. You won’t have the time to minister to those in the family of God who need your ministry because you are always working. You won’t find time to work on your inner man, which is critically important, because you are always working. What about where you live, who will care for that environment? What are helpers for? You might ask. Helpers, wonderful though they are, can do so much and no more. There are certain matters that only you can attend to in your home.

You see reader, the devil is not so much interested in what binds you. It could be anything, good, bad, or indifferent. The devil wants you bound and wants you to stay bound for as long as possible. When you are tied up, literally, with work, he can have free reign in your affairs. He can do his messy work of killing, stealing and destroying your loved ones, unhindered. Remember and think carefully about what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church.  “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 (KJV).

Help! I am a Workaholic

1. The first step to recovery is admitting that you struggle with workaholism.

•  Repent and seek forgiveness from those whom you have offended.

• With God’s help, find your pain! What is your pain? Are you angry? Disappointed? Fearful? Do you have pesky relational problems that drive you to run away into work? Spend some time in quiet reflection. Seek the help of a qualified counsellor or a trusted, mature friend who can help you uncover your pain so that healing can result.

• Take work breaks, with permission of course. Deal with tension headaches, and other stress related physical and mental ailments in these off times. Employers can also mandate that the workaholic take vacation or other time off.

• Some people tend to show an aversion to seeking help with their mental health. However, mental issues affect everyone, especially in light of these trying times. If you are struggling with workaholism it may be worth your while to have a mental health assessment done.

• Regain control over your work habits. Set clear guidelines relating to hours of work and overcoming the tyranny of the urgent. Do the important things first, even though they might not be urgent. It is the important things that matter. Create and stick to a ‘To Do List’

• If you experience trouble with putting work aside at the end of the work day, stop working at least three hours before you go to bed.

• Take up enjoyable non work activities such as reading a book, watching a movie, going out with friends, or learning a new skill – This will help you to psychologically remove yourself from the dominance of work.

Workaholism is serious business and is detrimental to human flourishing. We would be well advised to avoid it and to seek help if we find ourselves or our loved ones entangled with it.