Set Boundaries with a Workaholic Colleague

Working with a workaholic colleague can be…challenging. If they’re putting in overtime, you might feel compelled to do the same, and their ultra-responsiveness can create more work and stress for you. To mitigate the damaging effects of their behavior on your own well-being, you can:

• Depersonalize their actions. Your colleague is probably not trying to intimidate or one-up you. Think about what else might be going on in their life. Maybe they’re going through something personal and throwing themselves into work as an escape. Or maybe they’re overcompensating for an insecurity you’re unaware of.
• Avoid glorifying their behavior. If you know your colleague stayed up all night creating a presentation, for instance, complimenting their sacrifice will only reinforce their unhealthy mentality.
• Resist peer pressure. You may start comparing your capacity and output to theirs and wonder, “Am I really working hard enough?” Don’t overextend yourself in an effort to “catch up.” Remember, having a healthy work-life balance isn’t lazy or irresponsible.
• Set boundaries. This means managing expectations around your own response times, deadlines, and availability. Explain what’s realistic and what’s not—and stand your ground.