Are You an “Extreme Worker”?
Today’s USA Today has a cover story in the Money section titled, “Hi, I’m Joan, and I’m a workaholic. The article talks about extreme workers , some of whom attend Workaholic Anonymous meetings in cities around the country. The premise of the article is that the workaholic’s behavior impacts relationships, health, and general well being. It goes on to cite the technological advances of cell phones, laptops, and the Internet that make this extreme work behavior possible. As I walked about the streets of Arlington, VA yesterday, the number of people NOT attached to their cell phones or blackberries struck me. And I am really amazed by the number of men continuing to talk on cell phones or engage in text messaging while in the men’s room! So there certainly is something about technology that makes extreme work possible. However, there is something to which the USA Today article alludes but glosses over. And that is the subtle or not so subtle message that business organizations give to workers that encourages and even rewards this extreme worker behavior.
In the organizations that I visit, I would be hard pressed to tell you what normal business hours are , I see people coming to work before 7AM and staying in their offices until late in the evening. Organizations today do talk about work-life balance. Yet, I will often receive emails from people in those organizations that were sent in the middle of the night.
As someone who also works long hours and spends a great deal of time traveling for business, I am the last person you will hear preaching about extreme workers and the organizations in which they work. But here is my worry conversation. I worry about how sustainable a workforce can be whose effectiveness depends on continuing to work extreme hours. I know that I need to give myself time to recover after I’ve had a particularly intense period of work. I wonder if there is a breaking point at which both productivity and worker satisfaction begin to suffer. Time will tell.