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Workaholism: A hidden business risk
Work addicts have commented on the operational consequences of addiction to their company in a recent study. The consequences of workaholic behaviours imply a high risk potential for businesses. The size of the business doesn’t matter. Any employed person can be affected. The research has shown that operational framework and management behaviour cause or promote workaholism.
Workaholism – Just another modern folly theme or a serious problem?
The ever-advancing technological possibilities and changes in work organisation contribute to the boundaries between work and leisure being increasingly blurred. Teleworking from home, being constantly available via mobile phone or the internet, or flexible working hours can promote workaholism. An operational framework has been established, which enables employees to quickly and flexibly respond to requests from superiors. There is a big temptation to make phone calls or to check emails at the weekend, or while away on holiday. Therefore, if there is a problem around work addiction, one should place a focus on operational frameworks to consider and recognise the responsibility that they could be an addiction cause or promoter.
Fifteen years ago, workaholism was often associated with high professional performance pressure, but also with career and prestige. People usually jokingly said they were a ‘workaholic’. It was perceived positively in society and accepted. Increasing education, however, has led to a shift in perception. If the topic workaholism is brought up within a company or human resources management meetings, immediately the discussion centres on symptoms of the condition and the negative impact it has on those affected and the companies they work for. This is a clear indication for an increasing acceptance of workaholism as a problem and even as an illness.
This changed perception also documents itself in the worldwide increasing numbers of Workaholics Anonymous groups, which have, for example, eighty-seven groups in USA, twenty-eight in German speaking cities, and five in New Zealand thus far. However, it still does not play a role in entrepreneurial everyday life. Workaholism as a serious problem for companies, is largely consistently hidden. The fact that operational conditions and executives also play a role does not attract attention in operational practice or in health management for employees. Of course, this also has a significant negative impact on the lack of assistance for the affected persons themselves.
Why are workaholics a business risk?
Workaholics are, to a certain extent, of positive benefit for a company. Their high level of motivation often comes with a high level of productivity and this is highly appreciated by companies. In this phase (Phase 1A), workaholics seem very effective and efficient. They are rewarded by the company with recognition and prestige and their careers are being promoted. From the company’s point of view, they are the ‘best employees’.
At a later time, workaholics will, however, reach a point (Phase 1B), when they are still being effective and making a positive contribution, but efficiency is beginning to suffer and those affected, compensate for this declining efficiency. For example, with additional time at work in the form of overtime or weekend work. During this phase, companies typically ignore the associated problems. After all, they are still their best employees, and they are willing to generously overlook any anomalies.
If the utility curve falls into negative figures in Phase 2, the company incurs costs or loss of benefit. In this phase, workaholics work neither effectively nor efficiently; the error rate and the number of wrong decisions rise. In addition, further operational implications become apparent; colleagues of workaholics hand in their notice or become ill, and motivation and productivity within the team decline. A general feeling of uncertainty and helplessness develops within the company about what is happening and how to react to it.
If companies let the process run its course, it will end in an absolute crisis in Phase 3; the workaholics will continue to work neither effectively nor efficiently; the number of mistakes will increase, and those affected will drop out due to severe illness, sometimes for the long term. On top of the increasing staff turnover, increased absences as well as declining motivation, further significant economic losses may occur. This includes failure to conclude contracts, customers walking away, and important projects stagnating. When this point is reached, the company may find itself in a situation that existentially threatens their economic viability, and it will become increasingly difficult to solve the problems created.
The trajectory in Figure 1 clearly shows the risk potential workaholics pose for companies. The later employers react to workaholic behaviour, the higher is the risk and the probability of severe economic damages occurring.
What is workaholism?
Workaholism is a compulsive and pathological fixation on work, in which addicts surrender or sacrifices themselves. Addicts surrender the responsibility for their own actions and lose control over them.
One can recognise workaholics by the following behaviour traits:
They are always busy, and nothing is ever good enough for them. They have a perfectionist expectation of themselves and very often of others too. There is a desire to have everything under control, therefore it is unacceptable for them to delegate tasks. Work always has a higher priority than family, and relationships suffer because of their work. Working day and night, at the weekends and on holidays is common. Nervousness, grumpiness and impatience are their constant companions. If one confronts workaholics with their unusual working behaviour, denial is the main defence mechanism. The compulsion of workaholism expresses itself in the addicts being constantly driven by work and thus they effectively have lost control over their actions, a situation which they would never admit to. To hold on to the supposed control over their actions, they work out sophisticated time management systems and task lists.
Workaholism is a dynamic process, moving through different stages and may ultimately end in death. Typical physical symptoms are nervous tics, dizziness, trembling hands, headache, weak immune system (which leads to a higher susceptibility for virus infections), permanent exhaustion, heart disease, back pain, sudden hearing loss. Typical behaviour symptoms are mood
swings, depression, mental illness, concentration problems, outbursts of anger, unrest, forgetfulness, impatience, sleep disorders and inability to relax.
How do workaholics comment on the operational consequences of addiction?
An investigation was performed, questioning exclusively selfconfessed workaholics with regard to behavioural characteristics of workaholism, and commented on the development and promotion respectively of workaholism through a company. The study has shown results which are essential for the action that has to be taken by companies:
• The test subjects have shown a low level of absences. This makes the identification of workaholism harder for companies, because these can only be identified through observable behaviour and not through the type of diseases.
• The following main operational framework conditions have been stated from the test subjects. The cutting of the work budget leads to higher work density, insecurity and existential fears, and this in turn constitutes a corporate policy factor forcing the development of workaholism. Further to this, too much overtime, the fear of losing employment as well as the fear of not being able to withstand the professional pressure, were named as factors promoting workaholism.
• Companies should be aware that practised corporate culture and management behaviour may cause general fears in employees, and also promote the development of workaholism. According to this survey, this especially applies to the organisation of the operational framework conditions. The behaviour of managers plays a key role here: managers, on the one hand, have a hand in creating the operational framework conditions and, on the other hand, can actively exert influence on the employees through their management behaviour and, thus, also on the development or promotion of workaholism.
• In addition, the following economic and human resources risks were identified: delay of work processes, unfinished tasks, deadline delays, controlling behaviour towards colleagues, mistakes, wrong decisions.
If one compares the absences results of the study with the New Zealand ‘Wellness in the Workplace Study 2017’ one can see the same tendency: the most frequent absence reasons are mainly minor illness like cold, flu, or headache. One can also see, that the general stress level staff experienced has increased about over 30 percent. In addition, the operational framework conditions are also recognisable in the New Zealand Study: the main causes of stress have been identified through general workload, pressure to meet work targets, management style and work relationships, long hours, and financial concerns. This is a clear indication that New Zealand companies have to accept the fact that they also could be affected from workaholism in their daily business, and that this could be one reason why business seems not to run smoothly.
What action has to be taken from managers and HR Departments to identify and prevent work addiction?
With regard to managers, emphasis is on the importance of information, and the training of superiors as to workaholism traits, in order to soften the ‘taboo subject’ of workaholism, and to develop a culture of trust. Moreover, the study has identified the necessity for management to develop a system as to how the observed behaviours of employees (for example unrest, tension, mood swings, irritability/ impatience, exhaustion, forgetfulness, hyperactivity) may be analysed. HR departments should deliver proper instruments to support the managers such as personnel information talks, a work-ability-index, a work addiction risk test, and analysis of absenteeism or staff fluctuation. The basis of all such instruments should be a reliable HR Risk Management System, which shows the needs and the abnormalities of the company. The aim is to make risks visible and predictable, so that they can be approached preventatively, be
limited or avoided. The measurability of human resources risks requires a systematic identification, measurement and controlling of human resources risks. The task of the HR Department is to adjust the HR Risk Management System for the identification of work addictive behaviour. From this, appropriate measures can be derived to offer help to those who are affected from workaholism, and to support the management in handling, in an appropriate human and business orientated way, the challenge of work addiction.
Conclusion Ultimately, not only the workaholics themselves but also the companies have to pay a high price. This research shows, that denying workaholism as the cause of operational problems is a gross negligence. The existence of companies can be jeopardised and therefore, the effects of workaholism require active management actions.
Economic interests of companies and assistance for work addicts are no longer mutually exclusive. The entrepreneurial intent must be to recognise the issue of workaholism as a disease, to avert operational damage for the company and to actively address the problems of workaholism.
Dr Ulrike Meissner is an international Consultant for HR Risk Management and Demographic Change as well as an HR Online- Lecturer at the University of
Germany. She is active in Europe and New Zealand. Her published books cover the fields HR Risk Management and Workaholism. She worked in Germany many years as senior HR manager in an international environment and held the professorship for “Human Resources Management” at the University of Applied Sciences Ostwestfalen- Lippe, Germany. Ulrike can be contacted through www.um-ehr.com
Further information about the study can be found at www.um-ehr.com or in the book from Dr Ulrike Meissner: “Business Risk Workaholism – Management Challenges and Action Guidelines for Professional Practice”, published 2018 by Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.
