As BlackBerries and global business mean more and more of us work 'out of hours', addiction to work is becoming more common.

But until now, being a 'workaholic' has been a matter of opinion - much in the same way as Dylan Thomas quipped, 'An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.'

Now, Norwegian scientists have designed a 'scale' to separate out keen workers from those who have a behavioural problem that drives them to harm themselves by overwork.

The ‘Bergen Work Addiction Scale’ looks at the kind of behaviour that is displayed by all kinds of addicts, from drug users to alcoholics, but related to the workplace.

Those who, for instance, free up time to fit in extra work or feel guilty if they don’t stay late on a regular basis may be workaholics.

Reporting to the Journal of Psychology, researcher Doctor Cecilie Schou Andreassen of the Univesity of Bergen, said the Scale was the first of its kind in the world.

It was tested on 12,000 workers from 25 different kinds of industry, and reflects what she called the ‘seven core elements of addiction.’

These are salience - noticeability - mood, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse and problems.

The Scale was designed jointly by psychologists from Norway’s University of Bergen with colleagues from Nottingham Trent University.

The Bergen scientists believe work addiction is getting worse, not better, because the boundaries between home and office are getting blurred.

Being in constant touch through mobile phones and laptops and tablet computers, for instance, means it is harder to ‘switch off’ and easier to work from home.

Growing globalisation also means it necessary for some companies to be in touch with colleagues in different time zones, so it will happen outside normal working hours.

These factors, and others, contribute to more employees who are ‘driven to work excessively and compulsively’ - the definition of an addict.

Are you a workaholic? The test that finds out if you have a problem

Look at each of the following statements and rank yourself on each one according to the following: 1 = Never; 2 = Rarely; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Often; 5 = Always.

You think of how you can free up more time to work.

You spend much more time working than initially intended.

You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression.

You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.

You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.

You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.

You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.

If you score ‘often (4)’ or ‘always (5)’ on four or more of these seven statements, it ‘may suggest you are a workaholic.’

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)