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To Work, Perchance to Dream
Employees' thoughts of work extend well beyond the confines of the workplace -- even into the dreams of many workers. While sleep deprivation and fatigue may be a concern, dreaming about work can aid the creative process and indicate a higher level of engagement.
Work issues and experiences are expanding their grasp on employees' lives, occupying increasing amounts of time during both day and night. The second annual Staples National Small-Business Survey reveals that about half (51 percent) of respondents admit they actually dream about their work. Of those, nearly 70 percent say they wake up and put their work dreams into action. For many, their work ethic is so compelling that work intrudes on weekends and vacations. The survey shows that 98 percent of U.S. small-business owners and managers are working during their time off¿and nearly 54 percent expect to work even harder in 2008. Can you actually work too much? It's possible, according to Joe Marlowe, senior vice president for Aon in Radnor, Pa. "There can be some good involved in thinking about one's work," he says. "But it's really a matter of moderation" involved in maintaining a healthful balance. The effects of work's invasion of dreams depend on whether work-related dreams are of a positive or negative nature, says Paul Sanchez, global director of employee research at New York's Mercer HR Consulting. For example, he says, arriving at creative solutions via dreams about work is helpful and rewarding. However, when dreams relate to concerns about layoffs or economic downturns, the impact is disconcerting. Carrying thoughts of work beyond the confines of the office is nothing new, according to Sanchez. "People have always thought about their work," he says. For workers involved in "creative enterprises," Sanchez says, "[such thoughts any hour, night or day is] often the way the creative process works." Knowledge workers involved in the creative process are likely to have work/life boundaries that are "very thin," he says. "They're more likely to have this continuum of 'work is always on my mind.' " On the other hand, for workers involved in various types of routine work, boundaries between work and life are pretty thick, according to Sanchez. Such workers are less likely to be concerned about their work. It's important to find a comfortable balance that promotes engagement during work hours and allows time for out-of-office down time. "The essence of work/life balance has been to be able to put into perspective work and the rest of our lives," Sanchez says. Marlowe, himself, admits to having dreamt about his own work. "I've come up with ideas on how to solve a problem I don't think I would have discovered while awake," he says. But, he adds, pervasive work thoughts to the extreme can have detrimental effects. He says it's important to recognize that sleep disorders and fatigue present a "huge problem for American industry," particularly as they impact absenteeism and presenteeism. Marlowe says studies show that sleep disorders and fatigue rank among the top 10 reasons for lost productivity at work. Such sleep deprivation and fatigue have proven particularly problematic, he says, in cases where employees are at work but are not fully productive because "they've not had either enough sleep or a refreshing sleep the previous night." From the employer's perspective, "there's a real tradeoff here," says Marlowe. "Employers benefit when employees are engaged and are thinking about their work outside of the office. But there comes a point where that becomes counterproductive." Marlowe believes American workers are "stressing too much" about their work. He says statistics related to absenteeism and presenteeism indicate that people, in general, are overworked. HR needs to be aware that the types of programs employees have available to them frequently go unused, he says. For example, EAP programs, offered as typical benefits by the "vast majority of employers," according to Marlowe, tend to be underutilized. Unfortunately, he says, "employers are paying for a service that could really deliver great value, but for whatever reason, their employees are either unaware of it or choose not to participate." Marlowe attributes the underutilization to communication problems. "Employers should be doing a better job of communicating the availability of EAP benefits and other behavioral benefits that people are reluctant to talk about."
January 30, 2008 Copyright 2008© LRP Publications |
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