Workaholics Are Growing in Numbers

Workplace Buzz on June 1, 2007 6:49 AM

Stephanie Armour reports that workaholics have long been a part of the workforce. But new research shows the number of these extreme workers is growing, driven to long hours on the job because of new technology, globalization and today's intensified business pressures. Research is also providing new insight into who these workaholics are: men who endure large amounts of travel and have responsibility for profits and loss.

"Extreme work is real. The technological age has exacerbated this problem beyond belief," says Ken Siegel, of Beverly Hills, Calif., president of The Impact Group, a group of psychologists who consult with the management of leading global companies. "You can take work into the shower or the bath. There's no escape. (Extreme workers) often feel like if they don't work like that, they'll fail or their performance will suffer. They focus externally on the next goal, the next task."

A study in the December issue of Harvard Business Review provided new information on the rise in workaholics: Of extreme job holders, 48 percent say they are working an average of 16.6 more hours per week than they did five years ago.

But there is debate among the mental-health community about how detrimental such extreme work is. Stress related to work can lead to heart disease and mental health problems such as depression, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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