As BlackBerries and global business mean more and more of us work 'out of hours', addiction to work is becoming more common.
But until now, being a 'workaholic' has been a matter of opinion - much in the same way as Dylan Thomas quipped, 'An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.'
Now, Norwegian scientists have designed a 'scale' to separate out keen workers from those who have a behavioural problem that drives them to harm themselves by overwork.
The ‘Bergen Work Addiction Scale’ looks at the kind of behaviour that is displayed by all kinds of addicts, from drug users to alcoholics, but related to the workplace.
Those who, for instance, free up time to fit in extra work or feel guilty if they don’t stay late on a regular basis may be workaholics.
Reporting to the Journal of Psychology, researcher Doctor Cecilie Schou Andreassen of the Univesity of Bergen, said the Scale was the first of its kind in the world.
It was tested on 12,000 workers from 25 different kinds of industry, and reflects what she called the ‘seven core elements of addiction.’
These are salience - noticeability - mood, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse and problems.
The Scale was designed jointly by psychologists from Norway’s University of Bergen with colleagues from Nottingham Trent University.
The Bergen scientists believe work addiction is getting worse, not better, because the boundaries between home and office are getting blurred.
Being in constant touch through mobile phones and laptops and tablet computers, for instance, means it is harder to ‘switch off’ and easier to work from home.
Growing globalisation also means it necessary for some companies to be in touch with colleagues in different time zones, so it will happen outside normal working hours.
These factors, and others, contribute to more employees who are ‘driven to work excessively and compulsively’ - the definition of an addict.
Are you a workaholic? The test that finds out if you have a problem
Look at each of the following statements and rank yourself on each one according to the following: 1 = Never; 2 = Rarely; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Often; 5 = Always.
You think of how you can free up more time to work.
You spend much more time working than initially intended.
You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression.
You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.
You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.
You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.
You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.
If you score ‘often (4)’ or ‘always (5)’ on four or more of these seven statements, it ‘may suggest you are a workaholic.’
到现今为止，“工作狂”仍是见仁见智的一个话题，狄兰?托马斯对酒鬼的定义也是如此，他曾打趣说：“嗜酒者就是喝酒喝得和你一样多的讨厌鬼。”
现在，挪威科学家设计了一个“尺度表”，将积极的员工和那些有行为问题、工作过度以至伤身的员工区分开来。
这一“卑尔根工作狂尺度表”观察了从吸毒者到嗜酒者等各种瘾君子的行为表现，但是将这些行为和职场联系起来。
举例来说，那些腾出时间加班或是如果不天天超时工作就会感到内疚的人可能是工作狂。
研究人员、卑尔根大学的塞西莉亚?休?安德瑞亚森博士说该尺度表在全世界是头一个。这一研究发表在《心理学杂志》上。
这个表经过25个行业的1.2万名员工的测试，反映出安德瑞亚森博士所说的“上瘾的七个要素”。
这些要素是：突出性（显著性）、情绪、忍耐力、脱瘾、挣扎、复发、问题。
该表是挪威卑尔根大学的心理学家和诺丁汉特伦特大学的同事共同设计的。
卑尔根大学的科学家认为人们的工作成瘾症日益严重，因为家庭和办公室的界限越来越模糊。
例如，经常使用手机、笔记本电脑和平板电脑意味着更难“关机”，也更容易在家工作。
全球化的发展也意味着某些公司需要和不同时区的同事联系，因此人们也会在非正常工作时间工作。
这些因素和其他因素让更多的员工“不得不强迫性地工作过度”——这构成了工作成瘾。
测一测你是不是工作狂
阅读下面的陈述，并按如下几类给自己打分：1、从不；2、很少；3、有时；4、经常；5、总是。
你思考如何能腾出更多时间来工作。
你工作的时间比你预想的多得多。
你为了减少内疚感、焦虑感、无助感和抑郁感而工作。
别人让你减少工作量，但你置若罔闻。
如果你被禁止工作，你会感到压力很大。
你让工作优先于你的爱好、休闲活动和健身。
你工作太多，已经对你的健康造成负面影响。
如果这7项陈述中，你有4项以上是“经常”或 “总是”，那么这“可能意味着你是个工作狂”。
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