Workaholism: It's No Joking Matter

By: Randy Dotinga When an editor at a large daily newspaper turned to a colleague and asked what he thought should be done with workaholics, the answer was short and sweet: "Clone 'em!"

And why not? If someone wants to work too hard, so what? The very word "workaholic" sounds like it was made up by some fuzzy-headed shrink who wanted to boost book sales by giving people something new to worry about.

But despite its silly-sounding name, workaholism is no joke. "People get into it and feel like 'work can't live without me,'" said Los Angeles workplace psychologist Lilli Friedland. In some cases, that attitude ironically destroys careers when people fail to cope with the extraordinary pressure they place on themselves.

Overwork is nothing new, of course. But the concept of the workaholic, someone who overworks voluntarily, is a "modern luxury," said Marilyn M. Machlowitz, a New York City executive recruiter who wrote a book on the topic in 1980. "When you had hills and fields to till without modern appliances and the six- or six-and-a-half-day work week, I don't think it came up as an option or was a voluntary thing," she said.

According to Machlowitz, the word "workaholic" first appeared in the early 1970s, the apparent coinage of -- you guessed it -- a psychologist who wrote a book. But the workaholics of that era were different, she said. "I call them Jurassic Park workaholics. There were no faxes, cell phones, or personal computers. Workaholics had to stop in the past. They couldn't send an e-mail and get corrections and revise right away."

Now, it's much harder to escape your job when you can check your e-mail or voice mail at any time and any place. "What has happened is that the workplace and the demands of technology have created an environment where everyone comes to represent the workaholic in some ways," Machlowitz said.

But another factor continues to contribute to workaholism just as it did 30 years ago -- dedication to the job.

Carol Young, deputy executive editor at The Providence (R.I.) Journal, sees that element at play every day. "Part of it is the nature of the beast called 'reporter,'" she said. "Many are overly cautious, overly conscientious, overly ambitious creatures who can't help themselves. There's always one more call to make, one more question to ask, one more lead to perfect, one more paragraph to polish and, before you know it, the moon is out. On any given day, I can look out into the newsroom and find a reporter 'lost' in his or her writing for hours at a time."

But that "lost" feeling can be fulfilling, and it can boost careers. Woodward & Bernstein certainly didn't crack Watergate by clocking out at 6 p.m., and plenty of other people have found an agreeable home in the world of overwork.

"You feel in demand, you feel indispensable, you feel important and busy," Machlowitz said. "Your time is structured, and you don't have to think about filling free time, and you may have a defense against boredom."

Family demands, of course, may create complications. But if spouses, partners, and kids learn to adjust -- or are workaholics themselves -- things can work out. "It's not necessary a recipe for disaster," Machlowitz said.

Even so, enlightened bosses know the importance of keeping an eye on their employees. Some set policies or make strong suggestions about the importance of regularly taking days off.

"We hopefully do this because we really enjoy it, but there are other things to enjoy in life," said Stacy Sullivan, Phoenix city editor at The Arizona Republic. "No matter how much you enjoy your job, time away is a good thing."

Jim Wright, assistant managing editor for news at the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., recalls giving an order to a City Hall reporter in Seattle who competed against three reporters from the crosstown newspaper. "He would just work and work and work, and be there hours longer than he really needed to because he didn't want to miss anything," Wright said. "At one point I had to tell him, 'You are not allowed to come into the newsroom or go into City Hall for the next two days. If you do, I'll have to discipline you.'"

When it comes to keeping someone from burning out, nothing beats a good threat from above.