Work Hours and Work Addiction: The Price of all Work and no Play

Abstract

This chapter addresses a number of issues related to work hours and work addiction. The dependent variables associated with working long hours include health-related illnesses, injuries, sleep patterns, fatigue, heart rate and hormone level changes, as well as several work/non-work life balance issues. Motives for working long hours such as joy in the work, avoiding job insecurity or negative sanctions from a superior, employer demands, are addressed in detail, and a multitude of moderators shown to have affected the work hours and well-being relationship, are reviewed. These include reasons for working long hours, work schedule autonomy, monetary gain, choice in working for long hours. The chapter suggests a need for more research to better understand workaholism and work addiction, as well as provides a number of implications and organizational and societal suggestions for addressing work-hour concerns.

Citation

Burke, R.J. and McAteer, T. (2007), "Work Hours and Work Addiction: The Price of all Work and no Play", Perrewé, P.L. and Ganster, D.C. (Ed.) Exploring the Work and Non-Work Interface (Research in Occupational Stress and Well Being, Vol. 6), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 239-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3555(06)06007-0