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Section 23
Workaholism Perspectives

Question 23 | Test | Table of Contents

On the minds of men
You want it all--who doesn't? Great career, fat paycheck, amazing social life, gratifying home life… but inevitably, something's got to give. Climbing the corporate ladder is long and exhausting, and the fingers you end up stepping on often belong to your friends and family. When the late-night cleaning crew at your office sees you more than your girlfriend or wife does, is that a sign that it's time to reprioritize your life? Where do you draw the line, if at all? Here's what you told us. (We'll assume you workaholics were multitasking.)

Do you consider yourself to be a workaholic?
Yes 53%
No 47%

Do you have difficulty balancing your work and personal lives?
Yes 52%
No 48%

Give us an example of a time when work or ambition wrecked part of your personal life,
On holidays and at other traditional gathering times, family functions really take a beating for shift workers or anyone who works in a 24-7365 facility. Darryl, 38

My wife and I worked different schedules and had no time for intimacy. She'd be "on" sexually when I was "off" or unavailable, and vice versa. I ended up having an affair with a coworker and almost got divorced. Josue, 39

I'm a teacher, and I just wanted to be the best at what I do, but it became an obsession and almost caused my marriage to implode.  Arthur, 47

On the way to a baseball game with my son, I got a call from work. Since it was on the way, I stopped in to help. We missed the game completely--my son was getting score updates on my cellphone.  Rich, 42

Do you put professional ambition before your friends or family?
Yes 36%
No 64%

If so, has it been worth it?
Yes 41%
No 59%

No--I have no friends. Bobby, 30
Hell, yes. I'm 38, and the project I'll complete in the next year will bring the dream: the choice of full retirement as a millionaire, continued participation with the company, or a change of career. Tex, 38
Yes. My friends are stuck doing the same things they were a year or two ago, while my career has skyrocketed.  Jason, 34
No. My marriage is a joke, and all I do is commute.  Tom, 60
No. I don't even have time to ask my girlfriend to marry me. Nick, 18
What are you willing to sacrifice for professional success?
Everything but my health. I won't sacrifice my fitness for anything. Ted, 27
A friend and I are currently going for the same position. I'm willing to sacrifice him and try to make up with him later.  Joe, 33
It's not a matter of what I'm willing to do; it's what I have to do in order to keep a decent-paying job.  Adam, 24

Men’s Health. (2005). Hard Charger or Workaholic? 20(9).

Workaholism: An Overview and Current Status of the Research

- Andreassen, C. S. (2014). Workaholism: An overview and current status of the research. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 3(1), 1–11.

Personal Reflection Exercise #9
The preceding section contained information about statistics and feedback on workaholic men.  Write three case study examples regarding how you might use the content of this section in your practice.

Update
Burnout, Work Engagement
and Workaholism in a Group
of Dutch Judges: Distinctiveness
and Two-Year Structural Stability

- Hagen, T., Bogaerts, S., & De Caluwé, E. (2022). Burnout, work engagement and workaholism in a group of Dutch judges: distinctiveness and two-year structural stability. Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 30(3), 334–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2021.2013341

Peer-Reviewed Journal Article References:
Clark, M. A., Smith, R. W., & Haynes, N. J. (2020). The Multidimensional Workaholism Scale: Linking the conceptualization and measurement of workaholism. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(11), 1281–1307.

Huyghebaert, T., Fouquereau, E., Lahiani, F.-J., Beltou, N., Gimenes, G., & Gillet, N. (2018). Examining the longitudinal effects of workload on ill-being through each dimension of workaholism. International Journal of Stress Management, 25(2), 144–162.

Mazzetti, G., Schaufeli, W. B., & Guglielmi, D. (2018). Are workaholism and work engagement in the eye of the beholder? A multirater perspective on different forms of working hard. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 34(1), 30–40.

QUESTION 23
What factors trigger and maintain the complex phenomenon of Workaholism?To select and enter your answer go to Test.

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