Diagnosis: Boreout

Forget burnout. The new workplace syndrome du jour is: boreout.

The term "boreout" was coined by business consultants Phillippe Rothlin and Peter Werder to refer to workers who are underchallenged (aka underemployed). They estimate that 15% of office workers suffer from this problem; they don't have enough challenging, interesting or meaningful work. Think Homer Simpson. Or the character of Tim in The Office.

While we may find these fictional characters comical, there is nothing comical about the real life experience of boredom and underemployment. People who suffer from "boreout" often pretend to be busy, stretch out their work tasks in order to fill time, or spend their workdays on private matters. The explosion of the Internet, email, and cell phones into the workplace has also expanded the myriad of ways in which people pretend to be working when they are not. In a study conducted by Dan Malachowski, one-third of the 10,000 respondents to his survey said that they spent an average of two hours of office time per day on private matters in an effort to kill time.

This is not a small problem. For employers, it translates into a remarkable number of wasted hours. For employees, it translates into a stagnant and dull career path. A daily dose of boredom undermines self-confidence, competence and self-esteem - a recipe for mediocrity. It also contributes to high levels of stress and often takes its toll on both mental and physical health.

We can point our fingers at employers who refuse to delegate meaningful tasks or take the time to grow and develop their employees; but ultimately each individual is responsible for his or her own growth. If you are sleepwalking your way through your workday, you have two choices: bite the bullet and talk to your boss about your career development needs and/or find a new job that is more challenging and meaningful.