If you love your job, workaholism will not hurt you. Moreover, it will bring you both physical and psychological advantages over ordinary workers and slackers. These are at least the findings of a study carried out by academics in the field of organizational psychology at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands mentioned in the Los Angeles Times. The study Called Workaholic and work engaged employees: Dead ringers or worlds apart? was originally published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology in October 2011.
The research team led by professor Wilmar Schaufeli involved 1,246 Dutch workers aged around 40 years in the study. Measurements of their engagement in the workplace showed that there are four types of workers: 1) slackers (unengaged and unworkaholic employees), 2) engaged employees, 3) classic workaholics and 4) engaged workaholics.
Wilmar Schaufelli explains that "classic workaholics" who feel the constant need to work for reasons other than the passion for their work are facing more frequent health problems and more conflicts in the workplace and private life. "Engaged workaholics", on the other hand, handle the above average amount of work because they love their work. It motivates them and protects them against stress and burnout. While classic workaholics are "pushed" to their work, engaged workaholics are "pulled" by their work.
You can test whether you're an angaged workaholic using a questionnaire compiled by the research team of professor Schaufelli on the Los Angeles Times website here.
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