Seven signs a subordinate has become a workaholic

Workaholism manifests itself as a pathological, unhealthy approach to work. It is a condition in which someone works so much that they neglect their personal needs, family, friends and leisure time, and become overly devoted to work duties. Both the employee and those around them suffer, including the company as a whole because the workaholic is ultimately an inefficient and error prone worker, who sooner or later will burn out. There are many reasons for workaholism, ranging from a sense of inferiority and the need to prove something to oneself to succumbing to a toxic work environment. How to tell if one of your subordinates has become a victim of workaholism? Here are seven telltale signs.

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Long hours at work

As Forbes states, the primary classic sign of a workaholic is spending a lot of time at work. If a subordinate is already sitting in the office when you arrive at work, is still there when you leave, and is also answering e-mails at midnight, something might be wrong.

Reluctance to delegate tasks

A workaholic dislikes passing work on. They keep all responsibilities to themselves and have trouble delegating them to someone else.

Neglect of personal life

A pathological phenomenon in workaholism is neglect of one's personal life. This sign is particularly telling if the worker was previously functioning normally in their personal life, but now has suddenly lost interest in their hobbies, friends, personal projects or family.

High stress levels

A workaholic is constantly stressed. You can tell by the fact that they do not smile, they sleep badly, they eat too little (or too much), or they are unable to concentrate.

Higher sickness rates

High levels of stress, the strain on the body and constant work all take their toll in the form of higher risk of illness. So you should beware if out of the blue the subordinate is constantly ill.

Perfectionism

A workaholic wants everything they do to be perfect. This means they are willing to spend a disproportionate amount of time on every task. And that is why they are a workaholic.

Increased error rate

Nobody can work efficiently for 12 hours straight. And they certainly cannot maintain such a pace over the long term and not make mistakes. Therefore, one of the symptoms of workaholism is increased error rate.



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Article source Forbes.com - prestigious American business magazine and website
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