Showing papers on "Work–life balance published in 2022"

Remote work and work-life balance: Lessons learned from the covid-19 pandemic and suggestions for HRD practitioners

Abstract: ABSTRACT Popular representations of remote work often depict it as a flexible, technologically feasible, and family-friendly work arrangement. Have the images of remote working as a desirable work arrangement been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic? What have we learned from the widespread involuntary remote work imposed on many employees during this time? To answer these questions, we analysed 40 recent empirical studies that examined work-life balance while working from home during the pandemic. Our analysis was informed by the person-environment fit theory and complemented by literature reviews on remote work conducted prior to the pandemic. We found four themes representing misfits between desirable expectations and the undesirable realities of remote work: (1) flextime vs. work intensity, (2) flexplace vs. space limitation, (3) technologically-feasible work arrangementvs. technostress and isolation, and (4) family-friendly work arrangement vs. housework and care intensity. We highlight the important role HRD practitioners can play in assisting employees to achieve a fit between their expectations and experiences of remote work.

Continuance in organizational commitment: The role of emotional intelligence, work‐life balance support, and work‐related stress

Abstract: The study uses the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory to examine the effects of work-related stress, life-work balance support, and emotional intelligence on the organizational continuance commitment of workers in under-resourced organizations. Quantitative cross-sectional survey data were collected from 212 workers at selected independently owned schools in western Zimbabwe. Correlation and multiple-regression analyses techniques were used to analyze the data. Positive significant relationships were found between all three independent variables (work-related stress, work-life balance support and emotional intelligence) and organizational continuance commitment. Hayes’ PROCESS analyses results demonstrated that emotional intelligence significantly moderated the effect of work-related stress on organizational continuance commitment, and that of work-life balance support and organizational continuance commitment. The results highlight the importance of factors including work-related stress, work-life balance support, and emotional intelligence in efforts to help inadequately resourced entities retain employees.

Learning from work-from-home issues during the COVID-19 pandemic: Balance speaks louder than words

Abstract: During the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many employees have switched to working from home. Despite the findings of previous research that working from home can improve productivity, the scale, nature, and purpose of those studies are not the same as in the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied the effects that three stress relievers of the work-from-home environment–company support, supervisor’s trust in the subordinate, and work-life balance–had on employees’ psychological well-being (stress and happiness), which in turn influenced productivity and engagement in non-work-related activities during working hours. In order to collect honest responses on sensitive questions or negative forms of behavior including stress and non-work-related activities, we adopted the randomized response technique in the survey design to minimize response bias. We collected a total of 500 valid responses and analyzed the results with structural equation modelling. We found that among the three stress relievers, work-life balance was the only significant construct that affected psychological well-being. Stress when working from home promoted non-work-related activities during working hours, whereas happiness improved productivity. Interestingly, non-work-related activities had no significant effect on productivity. The research findings provide evidence that management’s maintenance of a healthy work-life balance for colleagues when they are working from home is important for supporting their psychosocial well-being and in turn upholding their work productivity.

Exploring the Impact of COVID‐19 on Employees’ Boundary Management and Work–Life Balance

Abstract: Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic altered the ways academics work and live by creating a context during the spring of 2020 when working from home was largely mandatory and where, for cohabiting workers, the home as workplace was simultaneously occupied by all household members during working hours (and beyond). Using a multi‐method qualitative approach, we examine how academics experienced working from home during the unprecedented circumstances imposed by the first UK lockdown and social distancing measures. Our findings show that a working arrangement commonly termed ‘flexible’ – working from home – can actually reduce flexibility in a context of mandatory implementation, accompanied by the removal of instrumental and emotional support structures such as childcare and face‐to‐face (physical) social gatherings. Intensified workloads, increased employer monitoring, social disconnection and blurred boundaries between work and personal life collectively generate the reduction of employees’ perceived flexibility‐ability. Experiences may be particularly negative for those with low flexibility‐willingness, whose pre‐pandemic preference was to separate work and home as much as possible. Employee efforts to assert agency in this context include establishing ‘micro‐borders’ and using time‐based strategies to create ‘controlled integration’. We discuss implications for border theory and outline directions for future research.

Balancing is a necessity not leisure: a study on work–life balance witnessing healthcare sector of Pakistan

Abstract: PurposeThis study aimed to examine the direct impact of work–life balance on employee retention and turnover intentions among doctors in Pakistan. Further, it also aimed to test the mediating role of job satisfaction on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis study's data were collected from 394 doctors working in public hospitals in Pakistan, using survey-based questionnaires and stratified random sampling technique. For data analysis, structural equation modelling was utilised to investigate the direct and indirect associations among the variables, while Statistical Software for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data management.FindingsWork–life balance was found to have a positive association with employee retention and a negative association with turnover intention. Results suggest that a fair work–life balance is a significant predictor of employee retention and turnover intention. Also, job satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between work–life balance and employee retention and between work–life balance and turnover intention.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's focus was limited to doctors working in public hospitals. Thus, future research can extend the scope to other segments such as nurses, paramedics and pharmacists from both public and private organisations.Practical implicationsHuman resource (HR) executives can improve employee retention and turnover intentions through strategic implementation of work–life balance practices. Policymakers should stress upon hospitals to implement favourable working hours that are satisfactory to employees to reduce turnover intention.Social implicationsIn the healthcare industry, suitable work–life balance strategies will help improve employees' lifestyle, which will positively impact their family and social relationships.Originality/valueThis study is expected to contribute to the existing healthcare literature in the context of Pakistan by explaining the process by which work–life balance affects employee retention and turnover intention. Specifically, job satisfaction is the mechanism that explains these relationships.

Work from home - A new virtual reality

Abstract: The present study aims to contribute to the research of future possibility of Work from Home (WFH) during the pandemic times of Covid 19 and its different antecedents such as job performance, work dependence, work life balance, social interaction, supervisor's role and work environment. A structured questionnaire was adopted comprising of 19 questions with six questions pertaining to work related infrastructure at home. Data was collected from 138 full time employees working from home which revealed the influence of work dependence, work environment and work life balance which were hypothesized to be directly related to the willingness to work from home in future if given an opportunity. Qualitative analysis revealed that job performance, social interaction and supervisor's role related hypothesis are refuted. The study tries to bridge the gap between the existing research done in past during normal course of time and current pandemic. The current research of WFH during the Covid 19 in employees working from home in India is an attempt to assess the antecedents in current situation. These results have important theoretical and practical implications.

A Literature Review of Work From Home Phenomenon During COVID-19 Toward Employees’ Performance and Quality of Life in Malaysia and Indonesia

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to determine the performance of employees employed at home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia and Indonesia, also to examine the employee’s quality of life affected by COVID-19. The current study is aimed to critically determine the performance of employees employed at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The author has analyzed and reviewed various sources of articles, reports, and documents from previous research and literature. The findings explain that working from home has provided advantages and disadvantages for both the employees and the organization and is responsible for the decrease in employee productivity. In addition, the findings conclude that the fact that working from home is generally not feasible because many areas of work cannot be done from home, although for many employees, working from home has provided a work-life balance.

Winners and Losers in Academic Productivity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Is the Gender Gap Widening for Faculty?

Abstract: Background: The coronavirus pandemic accelerated academic medicine into the frontline of research and clinical work, leaving some faculty exhausted, and others with unanticipated time off. Women were particularly vulnerable, having increased responsibilities in both academic work and caregiving. Methods: The authors sought to determine faculty's responses to the pandemic, seeking predictors of accelerated versus decelerated academic productivity and work-life balance. In this survey of 424 faculty from a private Midwest academic medical center completed in August-September 2020, faculty rated multiple factors both "pre-COVID" and "during the COVID-19 lockdown," and a change score was calculated. Results: In a binary logistic regression model comparing faculty whose self-rated academic productivity increased with those whose productivity decreased, the authors found that controlling for multiple factors, men were more than twice as likely to be in the accelerated productivity group as women. In a similar model comparing partnered faculty whose self-rated work-life balance increased with partnered faculty whose work-life balance decreased, being in the positive work-life balance group was predicted by increased academic productivity, increased job stress, and having higher job priority than your partner. Conclusions: While the COVID-19 pandemic placed huge stressors on academic medical faculty, pandemic placed huge stressors on academic medical faculty, some experienced gains in productivity and work-life balance, with potential to widen the gender gap. As academic medicine evolves post-COVID, leaders should be aware that productivity and work-life balance predict each other, and that these factors have connections to work location, stress, and relationship dynamics, emphasizing the inseparable connections between work and life success.

A meta‐analytic investigation of the personal and work‐related antecedents of work–family balance

Abstract: We conducted a meta-analysis examining antecedents of work–family balance, including personal characteristics, work demands, and work resources, as well as bidirectional conflict and enrichment. Bivariate results across 130 independent samples (N = 223 055) revealed that personal characteristics linked to more negative affect (i.e., neuroticism) and work demands (i.e., work hours, work overload, and job insecurity) were negatively associated with balance, whereas personal characteristics linked to more positive affect (i.e., extraversion and psychological capital) and work resources (i.e., job autonomy, schedule control, and workplace support) were positively related to balance. Family-to-work enrichment (FWE) was more strongly related to balance than was family-to-work conflict (FWC), and work-to-family conflict (WFC) was more strongly related to balance than was FWC. Finally, integrating tenets of job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, we examine two pathways (i.e., strain and motivation) through which antecedents relate to balance using meta-analytic structural equations modeling (MASEM). In the strain pathway, neuroticism and job overload were negatively related to balance indirectly through higher WFC. In the motivation pathway, extraversion and job autonomy were positively related to balance indirectly through higher WFE. Work social support related positively to balance through higher WFE as well as lower WFC. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.

Work–Life Balance and Teleworking: Lessons Learned during the Pandemic on Gender Role Transformation and Self-Reported Well-Being

Abstract: Lockdown during COVID-19 forced the emergence of a new scenario, with men and women teleworkers spending all their time at home. The purpose of this study is to address whether this situation has triggered a transformation in gender roles and self-reported well-being, comparing the responses of male and female respondents to the EUROFOUND April to July 2020 survey. The analysis addresses cultural differences across European regions related to diverse gender regimes, employment status, and the possibility of teleworking. It explores male and female well-being through life satisfaction, the distance between happiness and life satisfaction, and rates their feelings about work–life balance. Findings on life satisfaction display a low transformation of social roles, with women still worrying about work–life balance, while men were more affected by the health crisis. Men self-report high life satisfaction across Europe compared to women, although unexpectedly, female freelancers in Northern and Southern European had a higher life satisfaction ratio than men. Both men and women teleworkers reported difficulties with managing work–life balance at home, despite women handling core care and household tasks. These findings suggest that women would have received more support from men, as they worked harder and longer hours during the lockdown, despite their weak position in the labor market. This would seem to be a propitious setting for men to have assumed more responsibility at home, resulting in a more equal distribution of roles at home.

Work-Life Balance, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance of SMEs Employees: The Moderating Role of Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors

Abstract: Even though studies on work-life balance and family-supportive supervisor behaviors are prevalent, there are few studies in the SME setting, and the implications are yet unexplained. Thus, the study examines the effect of work-life balance on the performance of employees in SMEs, along with the mediating role of job satisfaction and the moderating role of family-supportive supervisor behaviors. We have developed a conceptually mediated-moderated model for the nexus of work-life balance and job performance. We collected data from SMEs and employed SEM-PLS to test the research hypothesis and model. Empirical results demonstrate that work-life balance positively influences job satisfaction and performance. Our empirical findings also revealed that job satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between work-life balance and job performance. We also found that when FSSB interacts with work-life balance and job satisfaction, it moderates the relationship between work-life balance and job performance and job satisfaction and job performance. Hence, our findings provide exciting and valuable insights for research and practice.

The ‘Work-Work Balance’ in higher education: between over-work, falling short and the pleasures of multiplicity

Abstract: ABSTRACT The neoliberalization of higher education in western countries has led to work intensification, projectification, and work-life balance issues for academics. This article draws on interviews with Digital Humanities practitioners in higher education conducted in 2017–2018 in three Nordic countries to introduce the concept of the ‘work-work balance’, an under-researched phenomenon in contemporary academe. The term ‘work-work balance’ refers to the ways in which workers in higher education seek to balance conflicting concurrent work demands made on them. Four such work scenarios emerged from the data: the 50/50 split across different jobs; working across multiple projects simultaneously; occupying multiple functional roles; and conflicting demands within one job. The article argues that work-work balance, or rather imbalance, issues result in the inability of higher education workers to meet the demands put upon them. This raises questions regarding the role of HEIs and research funding regimes in the generation and maintenance of work-work balance scenarios and suggests that work-work balance issues need to be researched further as well as requiring urgent attention from HEIs and research funders.

Work–life balance and social support: The influence on work engagement in the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey

Abstract: This study examined the influence of work–life balance and social support on work engagement using the big data of the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey. The data included 43,850 respondents from many countries in Europe. In this sample, work–life balance and social support are positively related to work engagement. Findings suggest that organizations should provide a resourceful work environment and consider the balance of their time at work and personal life to achieve high work engagement.

Telework in Baltic Countries during the Pandemic: Effects on Wellbeing, Job Satisfaction, and Work-Life Balance

Abstract: As a result of the rapid and unplanned adoption of telework by European companies during the pandemic, specific telework characteristics have arisen. Thus, employees’ experience of telework requires further analysis. Based on the “Living, Working, and COVID-19” results for Baltic countries, this paper studies the effect of telework experience on wellbeing, both directly and mediated by Work-Life balance and job satisfaction, through structural equation modelling. After verifying the significant differences in telework preferences, the model is also tested in high versus low telework preference groups. The main findings corroborate the effect of a positive telework experience on perceived wellbeing, but only indirectly via Work-Life balance. Additionally, data from the group with a high telework preference best fits the proposed model, revealing not only the mentioned indirect effect, but also the direct positive effect of telework experience on wellbeing. Thus, employees with a negative experience of telework during the pandemic will be more reluctant to accept telework over more traditional work arrangements. The implications as well as some limitations to be examined in further studies are also presented.

Teleworking and work–life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

Abstract: Telework, a work modality that allows employees to work outside the boundaries of an office through information and communication technologies, is rising. As the COVID-19 pandemic imposed social distancing regulations, alternative ways to work are growing in popularity. However, given the rapid growth of telework and the interest by employees to continue using this mode of operation, examination of the available literature is essential to guide future work. The current scoping review aimed to examine the effects of telework on employees' work and nonwork domains. Key attention was given to the effects on work-life balance. Under the umbrella of work-life balance, consequences on psychological health and performance were also examined. Six databases were consulted to gather articles published between January 2020 and December 2021. A total of 42 articles from Asia, Europe, North and South America, as well as Oceania, were included. Heterogenous findings were identified with regard to work-life balance and psychological health and these inconsistencies seemed to depend on moderating factors such as biological sex, boundary management strategies, and frequency of telework to name a few. Performance seemed to benefit the most from telework, albeit some exceptions (e.g., having pets, young children, or dependents) seemed to affect it negatively. We conclude that telework may not be beneficial for all and that a more thorough understanding of how teleworking can impact employees' various personal and private domains is further required. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (French) Le teletravail, une modalite de travail qui permet aux employes de travailler en dehors des limites d'un bureau grace aux technologies de l'information et de la communication, est en hausse. La pandemie de la COVID-19 ayant impose des regles de distanciation sociale, les modes de travail alternatifs gagnent en popularite. Or, etant donne la croissance rapide du teletravail et l'interet des employes a continuer a utiliser ce mode de fonctionnement, l'examen de la litterature disponible est essentiel pour guider les travaux futurs. La presente etude visait a examiner les effets du teletravail sur les domaines professionnels et non professionnels des employes. Une attention particuliere a ete accordee aux effets sur l'equilibre entre le travail et la vie privee. Dans le cadre de l'equilibre entre le travail et la vie privee, les consequences sur la sante psychologique et le rendement ont egalement ete examinees. Six bases de donnees ont ete consultees pour rassembler les articles publies entre janvier 2020 et decembre 2021. Au total, 42 articles provenant d'Asie, d'Europe, d'Amerique du Nord et du Sud, ainsi que d'Oceanie, ont ete inclus. Des resultats heterogenes ont ete identifies en ce qui concerne l'equilibre entre le travail et la vie privee et la sante psychologique, et ces incoherences semblent dependre de facteurs moderateurs tels que le sexe biologique, les strategies de gestion des limites et la frequence du teletravail, pour n'en citer que quelques-uns. Le rendement, quant a lui, semblait beneficier davantage du teletravail, bien que certaines exceptions (par exemple, le fait d'avoir des animaux domestiques, de jeunes enfants ou des personnes a charge) semblent l'affecter negativement. Nous concluons que le teletravail n'est peut-etre pas benefique pour tous et qu'il est necessaire de mieux comprendre l'impact du teletravail sur les differents domaines personnels et prives des employes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Due to COVID-19, the environments that employees must work in have changed. Teleworking may at first glance offer a potential solution to help workers gain more control over both their work and family lives;however, various factors may affect the ensuing work-life balance. Future research is needed to explore how these effects will unfold in the current context of adaptation to the massive use of telework. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Work-Family Conflict and Burnout Amid COVID-19: Exploring the Mitigating Effects of Instrumental Leadership and Social Belonging

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic brought disruptions to government workplaces, including abrupt transitions to remote work for many employees. Remote work can offer a physically distant environment and greater flexibility for individual employees and organizations; remote work also creates or exacerbates potential work-life balance tensions. Drawing on Job-Demands Resources theory, we propose that two organizational resources, instrumental leadership (a vertical organizational resource) and a sense of social belonging (a horizontal organizational resource), help prevent burnout by alleviating conflict between work- and family-life activities. Using survey responses from local government employees collected during the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020), we show that employees with a strong sense of social belonging experience less work-family conflict and, in turn, report lower levels of burnout. We also find that social belonging, as a horizontal organizational resource, appears more important for reducing burnout in a period characterized by disruption than the more formal, vertical resource of instrumental leadership.

A predictive structural model of new ways of working on innovative work behaviour: Higher education perspective in the Gulf Cooperation Council

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between compulsory new ways of working (flexible work design, workplace design at home, advanced information and communication technology [ICT]-based communications and culture of innovation) and faculty members' innovative work behaviour. The mediating role of work–life balance and employees' satisfaction with new ways of working in the relationship between new ways of working and innovative work behaviour was also examined. Building on established measurement scales, a questionnaire-based deductive approach was used to collect data. In total, 457 faculty members were randomly selected from universities in countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. New ways of work and innovative work behaviour were confirmed as multidimensional concepts. The study participants were clustered in three profiles according to their level of perception of the research variables. New ways of working practices apart from advanced ITC-based communications were significantly positively related to innovative work behaviour, and work–life balance was significantly positively related to satisfaction. Satisfaction with new ways of working and work–life balance is a vital mechanism of innovative work behaviour, and satisfaction mediates work–life balance and innovative work behaviour. Our research theoretically extends understanding of the compulsory new ways of working and innovative work behaviour in higher education institutions. It provides insights into how new ways of working affect innovative behaviour via two mediating mechanisms: work–life balance and satisfaction. This contingent perspective has not yet been explored in prior studies. Educational policy and decision makers can benefit from the results of this study by reorganizing their work activities according to faculty members' need to foster innovative educational solutions.

The association of work-related extended availability with recuperation, well-being, life domain balance and work: A meta-analysis

Abstract: Work-related extended availability (WREA; the availability of employees for work-related matters in their leisure time) seems to be associated with decreases in well-being and life-domain balance, but to date there is no quantitative synthesis of the scattered evidence. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis (113 articles with 121 studies relying on k = 117 independent samples with N = 131,872) on the associations between WREA and employee outcomes while examining potential moderators as well as differences between availability demands and behaviors. WREA was adversely associated with recuperation, well-being and private life, but favorably with some work-related criteria. There were no systematic differences in effect sizes between availability demands and behaviors; however, segmentation preferences were a moderator. Overall, these results suggest that WREA may pose a threat to employee recuperation, well-being and private lives, especially when employees prefer separating work and private life. However, positive potentials of WREA should not be overlooked. Plain Language Summary Work-related extended availability (WREA) refers to the availability of employees for work-related matters in their leisure time. Studies have shown that WREA may go along with primarily negative consequences for employees, but to date, there is no comprehensive overview of the literature statistically summarizing the current state of research, which was done in the study at hand. We assumed that WREA be related to problems with recovery, poorer well-being and difficulties to find a balance between work and private life. We also assessed in how far WREA goes along with attitudes towards work, absence from work and the intention to change jobs. Moreover, we considered differences between demands to be available and behaviors of actually taking care of work-related matters during leisure time. Finally, we investigated factors that may be associated with stronger consequences of WREA. We included 113 scientific papers with a total of 131,872 participants. WREA was related to problems with recovery, poorer well-being and difficulties to find a balance between work and private life, but also to more positive attitudes towards work. We did not find systematic differences between demands to be available and availability behaviors. However, we found that the relationship between WREA and work creating conflict with family life were stronger in samples with higher preferences to segment work and private life. Our findings suggest that WREA may pose a threat to employee recuperation, well-being and private lives, especially when employees prefer separating life domains. Still, positive potentials of WREA should not be overlooked.

French Fathers in Work Organizations: Navigating Work-Life Balance Challenges

Abstract: This chapter aims at contributing to a better understanding of the challenges and tensions that French working fathers experience at work in trying to achieve work-life balance. Drawing on a sample of 20 fathers, aged 27–51, working in different work organizations, in-depth interviews were conducted to investigate how these fathers navigate tensions between the simultaneous pressure for having a successful career and for embodying an involved fatherhood. The findings show that the fathers’ perceptions and expectations towards work-life balance are different from women, fathers often associating their needs for work-life balance with occasional and informal flexibility and not always viewing the organization as a source of solutions. Heterogeneously influenced by their cultural ideals of work and fatherhood, they expect now more proactivity, recognition and support on the part of their organization and supervisor to fully carry out their fatherhood. A typology of three profiles with different ways of combining fatherhood and work is derived: the ‘breadwinner’ father, the ‘caring father’ and the ‘want to have it all’ father. These categories are further developed highlighting the practices and strategies French fathers mobilize to solve their work-life equation.

The impact of COVID-19 on the work–life balance of working mothers: evidence from Nigerian academics

Abstract: Purpose Given the limiting gender role conditions arising from the prevalence of patriarchy in Nigeria and the shift to workers staying at home due to the deadly spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), this article aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work–life balance of professional mothers using the work–home resources model as a conceptual lens.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative data is based on telephone interviews with 28 married female university academics with children.FindingsThe findings reveal that the confinement policies enforced due to the need to combat the spread of COVID-19 and patriarchal norms deeply embedded in the Nigerian culture have exacerbated stress amongst women, who have needed to perform significantly more housework and childcare demands alongside working remotely than they did prior to the pandemic. The thematic analysis showed a loss of personal resources (e.g. time, energy, and income) resulting in career stagnation, health concerns, and increased male chauvinism due to the abrupt and drastic changes shaping the “new normal” lifestyle.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relies on a limited qualitative sample size, which makes the generalisation of findings difficult. However, the study contributes to the emerging global discourse on the profound negative consequences of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of millions, with a focus on the stress and work–family challenges confronting women in a society that is not particularly egalitarian – unlike Western cultures.Originality/valueThe article provides valuable insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected professional working mothers in the sub-Saharan African context, where literature is scarce.

Impact of Job Insecurity on Work–Life Balance during COVID-19 in India

Abstract: The ongoing health crisis has impacted businesses worldwide, drastically reducing production, consumption and distribution of goods and services, leading to an economic downturn. An increasing unemployment rate has led to a surge in the sense of job insecurity among employees. Lack of job security has a direct impact on an employee’s health and work–life balance. This article focusses on the relationship between and impact of job insecurity on work–life balance, that is, to understand the impact of perceived job insecurity on working hours, employee’s health and reduced family time. Using a self-completed questionnaire, data was collected from 413 employees from different sectors like construction, banks, hospitals, hotels, schools, FMCG, telecommunication, etc., in India, which assisted in testing five hypotheses. The study found a positive relationship between job insecurity and health issues and work–life conflict. Additionally, job insecurity was negatively linked with job performance. Regression analysis showed mediating effects of work demand, work time, family time and family demand on the relationship of job insecurity with health issues, job performance and work–life conflict. However, the article also discusses various effective mechanisms to reduce job insecurity and ways to curb its negative impacts on various organizational and personal outcomes.

Work-life balance satisfaction in crisis times: from luxury to necessity – The role of organization's responses during COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract: PurposeThis study examines how satisfaction with work-life balance (WLB) in combination with satisfaction with organization's COVID-19 responses (SOCV19R) helps to enhance subjective well-being and performance during the lockdown due to COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachThe data of this time-lagged study were gathered through an online survey with three-waves between March and May 2020 in Spain (N = 167). Hierarchical multiple regression and PROCESS were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsDirect relationships between SOCV19R and subjective well-being and performance were not significant. Instead, SOCV19R increased employees' well-being and performance through a higher satisfaction with WLB (full mediation).Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is the evaluation of SOCV19R as a form of organizational support in times of crisis. This study suggests that a good organizational reaction to face a crisis such as the pandemic, encourages employees' WLB and helps them to boost their well-being and performance. It may be concluded that work-life balance (WLB) in Spain was seen as a luxury in good times and turned out to be a necessity in bad times. The present study recommends practical implications and provides lessons for human resource management for future crises or similar work conditions.

The work-life balance of general practitioners as a predictor of burnout and motivation to stay in the profession

Abstract: Abstract Background Work-life balance (WLB) is associated with a variety of health-related outcomes in the general population. Since General Practitioners (GPs) play a fundamental role in the health system, we wanted to analyze the associations between their WLB and burnout scores as well as motivation to stay in the profession. Methods In September 2019, physicians from various specialties answered a comprehensive questionnaire. We analyzed a subsample of 188 GPs that were working full time, 61.7% were female. Results Multivariate analysis showed a beneficial association between WLB and all three dimensions of burnout (Emotional Exhaustion, Cynicism, and Professional Efficacy) as well as the motivation to stay in the profession. Conclusions Improving GPs WLB could be a way to reduce physician burnout, strengthen the healthcare system, and attract a new generation of talented physicians.

Crafting work-nonwork balance involving life domain boundaries: Development and validation of a novel scale across five countries

Abstract: Ongoing developments, such as digitalization, increased the interference of the work and nonwork life domains, urging many to continuously manage engagement in respective domains. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent home-office regulations further boosted the need for employees to find a good work-nonwork balance, thereby optimizing their health and well-being. Consequently, proactive individual-level crafting strategies for balancing work with other relevant life domains were becoming increasingly important. However, these strategies received insufficient attention in previous research despite their potential relevance for satisfying psychological needs, such as psychological detachment. We addressed this research gap by introducing a new scale measuring crafting for a work-nonwork balance and examining its relevance in job-and life satisfaction, work engagement, subjective vitality, family role and job performance, boundary management and self-rated work-nonwork balance. The Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale was validated in five countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland), encompassing data from a heterogeneous sample of more than 4,200 employees. In study 1, exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factorial scale structure. Confirmatory factor analysis, test for measurement invariance, and convergent validity were provided in study 2. Replication of confirmatory factor analysis, incremental and criterion validity of the Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale for job and life satisfaction were assessed in study 3. Study 4 displayed criterion validity, test–retest reliability, testing measurement invariance, and applicability of the scale across work cultures. Finally, study 5 delivered evidence for the Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale in predicting work-nonwork balance. The novel Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale captured crafting for the challenging balance between work and nonwork and performed well across several different working cultures in increasingly digitalized societies. Both researchers and practitioners may use this tool to assess crafting efforts to balance both life domains and to study relationships with outcomes relevant to employee health and well-being.

The Key to Work–Life Balance is (Enriched) Job Design? Three-Way Interaction Effects with Formalization and Adaptive Personality Characteristics

Abstract: The COVID-19 outbreak has blurred the boundaries between work and personal life, making the concept of work-life balance (WLB) even more important. Based on a three-source (employees, family members, and supervisors) sample (n = 436) of working professionals, we investigated the importance of enriched job design for employee WLB. In addition, on the basis of the job demand-control (JD-C) model, we examined whether organizationally imposed formalization and employees' individual adaptive personality traits (proactive personality and resilience) act as boundary conditions that strengthen this positive relationship. First, we conducted a supplementary analysis to investigate further which of the enriched job design characteristics play the most important role in our three-way interaction models predicting WLB. Then we discuss implications for theory and practice.