Breaking the cycle: how to recognise and mitigate workplace addiction

As the landscape of modern work continues its rapid evolution, our emphasis has been on fixing the systems of work and not the development of the person within the system. Whilst improvements in efficiency are abundantly clear, so is the growing culture of constant connectivity and the learned behaviour of always being available. 
This ‘always-on’ mindset can significantly impact the physical and mental wellbeing of employees. Through extensive consultation with executive leadership teams, our Howden Care team are constantly asked what responsibility should be placed on employees. Are they accountable for their own behaviour, and do they need to take reasonable steps to manage their own health and wellbeing? 

The answer is yes! We just need to create the right environment for our employees to feel safe to do so. Not only is it the right thing to do, but globally and locally we have implemented codes of practice that define how we should do so. Where work has adversely contributed to the employee’s injury or illness, or even exacerbated a pre-existing health condition, it exposes the employer to people and legal risks. 

So, what does controlling the environment look like? An overwhelming body of research can highlight the effects of high stress levels leading to problematic addictions and behaviours in the workplace. Humans learn from the behaviour of other humans. Therefore, exposure to a toxic ecosystem is likely to reinforce negative coping strategies and increase the risks of indoctrination into a poor workplace culture. Across the People Risk Insurance market this is now evident as we see sectors of the market becoming uninsurable because of the culture and design of workplaces that has led to an increased risk of burnout. 
Recognising, addressing, and supporting workplace addictions are crucial to maintaining a healthy work force and lead a high performing team.

What do we mean by workplace addictions and behaviours?

There are several addictions which commonly affect the workplace. How these develop and their impact on employees may be unknown to a large proportion of the workforce. In the past, discussions around this topic may have primarily been centred around substance abuse and the detrimental effects of alcohol and drugs on an employee’s wellbeing and behaviour in the workplace. However recently, workaholism has become a concerning phenomenon. This is defined as the uncontrollable need to work excessively, beyond the normal requirements of one’s job. This shift is reflective of today’s changing professional environment, characterised by individual and psychosocial factors that contribute to workplace addiction. Psychosocial factors are now seen as hazards that adversely contribute to the health of employees through their impact on social, cultural and environmental factors in the workplace. 

Why are workplace addictions and behaviours becoming more prolific?

Workaholism is currently identifiable in the patterns of behaviour that workers exhibit, and employers can have an early intervention impact if they watch out for these behaviours. According to the ABC, preliminary results of a study on work addiction show that approximately 24% of Australians could be considered workaholics.¹ While monthly hours worked in Australia increased to 1,980 million, employment to population ratio decreased to 64.2% and unemployment rate remained at 4%.²

Beyond these statistics lies a deeper issue.

As an addiction, workaholism is particularly problematic because it’s often socially rewarded and even mistaken for dedication. Unlike other dependencies, there’s a pervasive lack of measurement or monitoring due to symptoms often being behaviours that are praised in workplace cultures – such as extremely long hours, constant availability and a reluctance to take proper breaks. Whilst we give our workforces more control over how they define the way they work, the question every leader should ask is - does my team member have clear boundaries and the self-regulation to manage the boundaries?

Workaholism as emotional escapism

Arguably one of most prominent reasons employees are likely to adopt this addictive behaviour is to deal with emotional stress that has stemmed from another area of their life. This could be down to high pressure and stress-inducing situations, troublesome personal relationships, traumatic events or grief from loss of a loved one. Work becomes a medium through which to subdue these feelings. 

For example, an employee working in a fast-paced, high-stress environment often copes with this pressure and emotional strain by overworking. Or equally, an employee that has suffered considerable loss and grief can use overworking as avenue of escapism. 

Over time, this coping mechanism develops into workaholism. Masked as dedication, it represents the suppression of unprocessed emotions of grief or anxiety. This can take a great physical and psychological toll on employees. Common mistakes we all make in the workplace stem from not recognising there has been a significant impact on the life of a team member we work with, seeing them bury themselves in work as a means of distraction and not addressing this behaviour with the person. 

The nature vs nurture paradox 

In the context of recognising and mitigating workaholism the nature vs nurture framework is highly significant.

While we cannot control the nature of an employee’s emotional experiences, we can influence through nurture – the ecosystems within the workplace. In other words, employers and organisations have a powerful opportunity to prevent workaholism by cultivating a work environment that is more compassionate, supportive and emotionally literate. A strong ‘safety culture’. 

Early intervention is vital. Often there is a great deal of stigma and denial around addiction, reducing help-seeking behaviours. There is also shame associated with standing out in an environment that reinforces addictive workplace practices. Employers must make reasonable adjustments to the workplace to accommodate emotional stress and to encourage a healthy work-life balance. As employers, we can create the access for employees to do so. Our impact on the nature of the work environments that we operate can be an extremely positive one.

The key signs of addiction and problematic behaviour:

Each addiction is unique and therefore the warning signs tend to vary. Some key signs of someone who is suffering with addiction are:

• Decline in job performance: this may seem counterintuitive in cases of workaholism, where an individual may appear highly productive. However, over time chronic overworking has the opposite effect, resulting in cognitive overload and emotional exhaustion. This leads to errors, missed deadlines, and a significant drop in quality and consistency. 
• Changes in work relationships: when an individual suffers from an addiction it can cause irritability, isolation, or hostility. This can strain relationships with colleagues and affect team cohesion and morale.
• Isolation from colleagues: a workaholic may withdraw from social interactions and team activities, prioritising work over connection. This can signal deeper emotional stress and further exacerbates the lack of support systems which peers offer, entrenching the cycle of emotional avoidance.

These areas are easily identifiable by leaders and colleagues. Having the trust and rapport to approach a team member to discuss these observations of behaviour is what effective training and team development can do to establish the right ecosystem in your workplace. 

Why should employers manage the “nature” of work?

Workplace addictions can significantly impact the productivity and performance of the business. In a rapidly developing work environment where problem solving, critical thinking, and adaptability are essential, it is equally important to cultivate emotional intelligence skills such as self-awareness, empathy, effective communication, resilience, and the ability to manage stress and interpersonal relationships. All of these significantly impact the ‘’nature’’ of a workplace and are crucial for creating a high-performing, collaborative, and agile workforce. 

Across Australia and New Zealand, employers have a legal and ethical obligation to manage psychological risks in the workplace. Under the Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice to Manage Psychosocial Hazards, employers must ensure a safe work environment by recognising and addressing factors contributing to mental health issues and illnesses.³

This requires early intervention and proactive measures including clear policies that help promote a healthy work-life balance, offering education and training on problematic behaviours and addiction, cultivating a supportive and emotionally literate work environment, providing access to support systems and resources, and rewarding efficiency over excessive hours.  

Building resilient workplaces through awareness and action

Workplace addictions, particularly workaholism, are no longer periphery concerns; they are embedded risks in today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected professional landscape. 

Employers have a clear compliance obligation to manage psychological risks under workplace health and safety legislation. This means recognising the emotional drivers behind problematic behaviours, fostering a supportive culture that facilitates early intervention, and ensuring access to mental health resources. 
The good news is that majority of these factors are within our control. They are determined by the “nature” of the workplace that the individual finds themselves in. 
As an employer, ask yourself - what is within the “ecosystem” that I can control? How do I effectively measure this, and what’s my plan for change? If you’re looking to move from managing a business to leading a high performing team, then consider work design and workplace culture. 

¹ABC News, Work Addiction Study Shows Workplace Culture Leading Cause, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-29/work-addiction-study-shows-workplace-culture-leading-cause/104509168 [accessed 15 April 2025]
²Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force, Australia, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/latest-release [accessed 15 April 2025].
³Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work, Safe Work Australia, 2022, https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/model-code-practice-managing-psychosocial-hazards-work [accessed 30 June 2025].