Where is the line between workaholism and work engagement?

How work engagement and workaholism are distinct

There was no association between the workaholism dimension of working compulsively and the work engagement dimensions of dedication and vigor

• This finding suggests that a defining difference between the two types of heavy investment in work is the underlying push motivating this investment.

• The underlying push for workaholics is a sense of obligation, obsession and drive. In contrast, the underlying push for engaged workers is dedication, pride and enthusiasm for one’s work, as well as a sense of vitality, strength and energy in the workplace.

Social, economic, and cultural views of work ethic impact how employees perceive their work experiences in terms of being devoted and energized by work versus being compulsive or feeling guilty.
However, this is an area that requires future research to identify concrete trends. 

• Ensure employees (in particular, managers responsible for a team) are able to effectively delegate work to their coworkers. This allows to better manage and monitor the time spent in work. Conversely, non-delegation could lead to excessive workload and early burnout.
  This can be done in a number of ways. For example:
  • Foster a positive work culture that encourages teamwork.
  • Provide employees, including managers, with training for soft-skills (such as delegating work). For example, training sessions can be held through informal "lunch and learn" seminars.

• Promote work-life balance policies and programs in order to protect employees’ personal and relational domains and prevent them from strain.
  • Managers can provide positive examples for adopting these policies or programs. For example, managers can set the tone by not responding to emails outside of work hours if their organization has adopted a "no emails after hours" policy or by demonstrating to employees that they take weekends off.
• Flexible working arrangements can allow employees to better manage responsibilities outside of work.
  • Employers should keep in mind that workaholics can end up working longer hours when they have autonomy over their schedule. It is important to have discussions with employees about the pros and cons of flexible work and how to effectively use it to encourage work-life balance.

• Put the emphasis on the quality of work, rather than on the quantity of the tasks completed. Working longer does not mean performing better.
  • For example, structure your organization's reward system to recognize the quality of a task and not the number of hours or tasks completed.
• Managers can help employees with their time management. For instance, by identifying important tasks so that employees can focus their attention or by ensuring employees have access to non-interrupted work time to tackle tasks.

• Employers should be aware of cultural differences regarding work ethic values when they are assessing if an employee is showing signs of obsession for work.
• An organizational culture that encourages delegation and teamwork, work-life balance and a focus on quality can help foster a higher quality of working life across cultures.