TOPIC

An empirical perspective on challenges and solution to the challenges of Work Life

Balance in the work place : The case of the IT sector in the infopark, kochi
 ABSTRACT

Work-life balance exists when there is a split of time and energy between the work and other
essential faculties of life. It means that the worker can perform in his or her job, while at the
same time getting time for community participation, friends, family, personal growth,
spirituality, self-care, and other activities that are necessary for a successful life. In recent
years, there has been immense change in the workforce due to the worldwide recession,
recent economic and downturns. Consequently, there is more pressure on business
organizations to perform, and for workers to be more productive. Most companies have put in
place some tough measures to deal with declining economic times, such as by decreasing
their staff levels, cutting on expenditure, and increasing workload for the remaining workers.
Although many studies have been conducted on WLB and wellbeing of workers in India,
there is little research on the influence of WLB on job satisfaction and employee retention.
Background Information
The study is based on the assumption that demands of work often intrude into the
other aspects of lives. It assumes that each faculty of live has demands that must compete
with the rest. The study, therefore, seeks to explore how work-life balance impacts on job
satisfaction of employees. According to related literature, conditions of work are increasingly
getting stress. This stress has huge implications in the life of the employee, including his or
her health by affecting the immune system, blood pressure, and emotions among others.
People now spend more work on the job that it used to be before. It is obvious that
people are now being overworked, which often leads to home-work conflict due to
incompatibility of work and family domains. Many employees are getting concerned about
the amount of time spent on work. Most are now getting to appreciate the value of ideal
work-life balance (WLB) as the pointer of success. In this paper, work-life balance is defined
as the individual perception that work and non-work activities are not in conflict, and they
can compatibly promote growth in relation to the person’s current life priorities.
 The management of any company should focus on work-life balance. This benefits
individual employees and impacts organizational performance and productivity. It is the
responsibility of the organization to develop policies that encourage work-life balance in its
employees. When employees are satisfied in their personal life, they become more successful
as workers, benefiting the company. Suranji and Thalgaspitiya (2016) observed that the
changing trends in the workplace make it necessary for organizations to design interventions
for helping employees manage the demands of family and work lives. The benefits include
provision of more benefits and policies, enriched job, social support, and family –friendly
culture. The interventions have been proved to have positive outcomes such as job
satisfaction, employee retention, and improved commitment to organizational goals (Suranji
& Thalgaspitiya, 2016).
In the United Kingdom, there is an increased focus on balancing multiple facets of
life, including creating harmony between family and work roles. Numerous domains have
been identified on how to achieve WLB, including leisure, financial resources, friendship,
dwelling and neighborhood, and social participation. In an effort to balance all spheres of life,
employees often get burnout. Many organizations, in a bid to minimize such issues, have
come up with policies such as flextime, on-site childcare, and various benefits to ensure that
the employee’s family life progresses smoothly. Some of these policies have been shown to
minimize pressure and burnout, thereby improving the quality of life for the worker. WLB is
an interesting topic in business practice as well as academic research. IT is now a popular
research area in sociology, human resource management, organizational development studies,
and gender studies. Adisa, Osabutey, and Gbadamosi (2016) noted that in the past five
decades, WLB and Work-Family Conflict (WFC) has dominated public discourse.
WLB is a growing core attribute of organizational development which is supported by
a number of research studies such as Abbort (2013), Lewis et al. (2007), and Chandra (2012).
WLB programs date back to the 1930s when they were first introduced as part of
organizational culture. Companies started implementing flexible time programs as a way of
increasing employee morale, production, and satisfaction. Uracha et al (2015) noted that the
Celtic Tiger meltdown in the United Kingdom and Ireland forced companies to implement
WLB programs and be more flexible. Work satisfaction is a global issue which has been
widely explored in both developed and developing countries (Sattar, 2014).
Work-life balance exists when there is a split of time and energy between the work
and other essential faculties of life. It means that the worker can perform in his or her job,
while at the same time getting time for community participation, friends, family, personal
growth, spirituality, self-care, and other activities that are necessary for a successful life
(Meenakshi, Subrahmanyam, & Ravichandran, 2013). Work-life balance is essential for the
employees because it reduces stress and anxiety. It also prevents burnout, which occurs as a
result of the stressful working environment. When an individual spends a lot of his or her
time on the job, he or she does not get time for self-care. The effect is that he or she reduces
output and productivity. Therefore, employers should help their staff members achieve the
balance through actions, procedures, and policies that will make it easier for them. According
to Meenakshi et al. (2013), long hours spent on the job lead to burnout and stress. There are
many adverse effects of the work-life conflict that that companies should avoid. It is not fair
to expose staff members to physical and mental health problems by giving them an overload
of tasks. Studies have shown the importance of providing employees the flexibility to split
time between work and life.
Studies have related WLB to various aspects of the organiation. Examples include
WLB and personal lives, WLB and the organization, and WLB and Human Resouce
Management among others. This study seeks to explore how WLB affects job satisfaction.
Job satisfaction can be defined as the employee’s perception of his or her work based on a set
of intrinsic and extrinsic factors (Bozionelos & Kostopoulos, 2010). Although the dominant
research is on the impact of WLB on personal life, there are some studies that have focused
on job satisfaction. In general, the consensus among various scholars is that WLB improves
job satisfaction. Most employees feel committed and happy, in turn increasing their
productivity. Therefore, both the organization and the employee benefits from WLB.
According to Mas-Machuca et al. (2016), those workers who commit more time to their work
lead more dissatisfied personal lives.
Objectives
1. To study Indices of work life balance among employees in the workplace.
2. To study Challenges of work life balance among employees in the workplace.
3. To study Solutions to the challenges of work life balance among employees in the
workplace.
LITERATURE REVIEW

Ashwini A Yarnal. (2021), she encountered Work life balance (WLB) is the modern
distinctive issue of health care industry, since employees consistently need to succeed and
advance at work place, simultaneously for family and recreation. Balancing these two
boundaries is the reason for burn out of employees and thus the employers perceived this as a
need of hour and want to introduce the work life balance strategies, plans and formulate
polices to employee morale, motivation and productivity. This paper illuminates the wide
options for employers and employees to interface work life balance practices for
organizational and personal performance.

D.S.R. Adikaram (2016) study has added information to understanding private sector
commercial banks as having complex social scenarios with a variety of work conditions
among organizations. The findings of study offer suggestions for improvement of job
satisfaction through work life balance. It is suggested that consideration be given to the
development of guidelines in order to ensure that work load should not affects the WLB of
employees. Whereas employees can reduce the pressure of work by prioritizing their work.
Top management should realize the importance of work life balance and its adverse effect on
job satisfaction. The need of policy is required to cater this problem. Different policies and
strategies are needed for the people at different type jobs and at different stages of their
career. The use of this information can include policy making to improve employees work
conditions, managerial processes, guidance for work life balance practices, and inform about
valuable aspects of organizational change. In a broader sense, the study also revealed that
work environment is not only related to how they feel in their workplace, but also how they
think about their life.

Sarah Holly and Alwine Mohnen (2012) in their study titled “Impact of working hours on
Work Life balance” their main objective was to examine the influence of the working hours
of the employees on their satisfaction on the job. They explain that the overall number of the
employees wants to reduce their working hours is influenced mainly by the overtime
compensation. Their study result shows that generally the long working hours do not lead to
the dissatisfaction among the employees, but long working hours have a positive effect on the
employee’s life and job satisfaction and the desire to reduce the long working hours have a
negative impact on the job satisfaction of the employees.
R Baral and S Bhargava (2011) in their research titled “HR interventions for Work life
balance” quotes that work life balance is the concern for both research scholars and the
business leaders in the view of technological, demographic and organizational changes
related to it. They have explained about the challenges that the HR managers face while
effectively implementing the policy in their organization. They suggest that the organizations
must implement Work life balance policies and incorporate the organizational culture that
ensures employee commitment and productivity.

Peter (2009) in his study on “Work life balance and subjective wellbeing” explains about the
work life balance and the wellbeing of the employees. In this research, the hypothesis that
was tested is the sufficient amount of time available increases the wellbeing of the employees
as it helps in satisfying personal needs. The finding in this research was that the perceived
sufficiency of time available for personal life and works tells the level of wellbeing only if
the individual’s needs are fulfilled in the given time.

Work life balance Compared to occasional mode of working operations under normal
circumstances, carrying out work duties during the COVID-19 pandemic is far more
challenging because it is mandatory, rather than voluntary, and fulltime, rather than part-time
or occasional. Surveys conducted with people working from home during the pandemic
reveal that there are also positive experiences with working from home (Cartmill, 2020). The
most useful tool to support workers with maintaining their work-life balance is to manage
work load by results and not by focusing on the number of hours or the particular schedules
that they work. By keeping the workload manageable and setting clear, realistic expectations
regarding the specific results to be achieved, workers are better equipped to organize their
own time and tasks, in order to effectively balance their work obligations with their personal
lives, including their family responsibilities.

One of the most significant challenges employees are facing during the pandemic is the work-
life conflict they are experiencing due to blurred boundaries between work and personal life.
Blurring of the boundary between paid work-personal life is always an issue with certain
employment (employees), even in the best of times, but it seems to be particularly
problematic due to the unique circumstances of the pandemic. Indeed, the COVID-19 crisis
has shattered the notion that paid work and personal life are two entirely separate domains, as
well as the ideal worker myth that workers can and should always be available to perform
their work-related functions. Studies have shown that health related activities increase work
intensity and work-home interference, leading to adverse effects on the well-being and stress-
levels of employees (Eurofound, COVID-19 could permanently change teleworking in
Europe , 2020).

People with children find the combination of school and child care facility closures with
prolonged, fulltime work particularly challenging. In a recent survey, over one in five persons
(22 per cent) living with young children (under 12) reported difficulties in concentrating on
their job all or most of the time, compared to just 5 per cent of households with no children
and 7 per cent with children aged 12–17 (Eurofound, 2020). Specifically, single parents or
parents of children with a disability or learning difficulty report that the situation is very
stressful. On the other hand, survey respondents reported that they appreciated the absence of
time and stress of commuting to the office; spending more time with their children and
spouses, and the flexibility of the working hours. But how can workers effectively disconnect
from work when their personal and working lives have become so blurred together? The
following actions among others may be considered by organizations to help improve the
work-life balance of their teleworking employees, including by enabling them to effectively
disconnect from work during specified periods:

 Supporting work-life boundary management by setting clear expectations about work

outputs, and at the same time offering workers the flexibility to manage their own
work schedules based on their individual needs.
 Ensuring that workers feel empowered to disconnect from work at specified times
reserved for rest and personal life without negative repercussions for their careers.
 Encouraging open communication and cooperation between workers and managers
around scheduling, availability, and boundary-setting within teams.
 Supporting workers with small children or other care responsibilities who may be
facing difficulties getting their work done and living up to the expectations of their
employers. Such individuals should be supported with targeted measures, such as the
special parental leave schemes that have been put in place in several countries,
organized on the basis of social dialogue and consultations between workers and
employers, on either a full-time or part-time basis.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology process in this study includes the activity performed. In this study
both Primary and Secondary research has been done to fulfil the objective for the paper.

Research Design

This research includes both Exploratory and Descriptive research design. Primary data is
collected through a structured non-disguised questionnaire. The objective of the primary
research was to find out the challenges and its solution to work life balance of employees in
the work place.
The secondary data is collected from sources like websites, online journals and articles. A
deep and close analysis is done of the data to extract the best information out of it.

Sampling Procedure

Sampling Design – Descriptive Research Design is taken into consideration for this study.

Sample Size - The sample size is taken as 200

Sampling technique: Simple random sampling

Sample Area – Respondents from Infopark, kochi city is taken as sample area where
consumers were distributed the questionnaire to find out the objective of the primary research
for the study.

Data Collection Method

In the study, both Primary and Secondary data collection method has been adopted.

Primary Data

Raw data or primary data is the data collected source being used here in this method. The
type of information collected here is directly obtained from first hand sources by means of
surveys, observations and experimentation and not subjected to any processing or
manipulation. In this study the primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire
method
Secondary Data

This data is basically the data collected by someone other than the user that is the data is
already available and analysed by somebody else. The common sources of secondary data
include various published or unpublished data, books, magazines, newspaper, trade journals
etc. Secondary data is also collected from various sources like websites, online journals and
research papers and blogs.

STATISTICAL TOOLS USED IN THE STUDY

 Simple Percentage Analysis
 Chi-Square Test
 Regression Analysis
.
QUESTIONNAIRE

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF EMPLOYEES

Name ………………………………

1. Gender

a) Male
b) Female

2. Age

a) 21-30
b) 31-40
c) 41-50
d) More than 50

3. Marital Status

a) Married
b) Unmarried

4. Designation

a) Entry level
b) Junior Level
c) Executive Level

5. Working Spouse

a) Yes
b) No

6. Number of Children

a) Zero
b) One
c) Two
d) More than two

7. Family Structure

a) Nuclear
 b) Joint

8. Experience

a) 0-5
b) 6-10
c) 11-15
d) More than 15
9. One important strategy adopted for work life balance

a) Valuing family time

b) Maintaining work boundaries
c) Prioritizing family fun
d) Taking pride in dual earning
e) Living simply
f) Making decisions proactively
g) Valuing time.

10. One important personality traits in self

a) positive
b) high achievers
c) hard workers
d) flexible
e) risk takers
f) workaholics

Indices of work life balance among employees in the workplace

Sl No PROBLEM STSTEMENT SA A N D SD
1 Reduction of working hours
2 Increase in negativity during official hours
3 Family life and home activities
4 Employees in the Workplace locus of control
5 Lack of deprivation owed to unemployment
6 Company benefits among employees in the workplace
7 In-house child care
8 Productive work among employees in the workplace
9 Appreciation among employees in the workplace
10 Flexible working hours and work model (home office)

Major challenges of WLB

Sl No PROBLEM STSTEMENT SA A N D SD
11 Unrealistic demands among employees in the workplace
12 Lack of control among employees in the workplace
13 Unsupportive relationships among employees in the workplace
14 Lack of resources to meet demand of employees in the workplace
15 Unhelpful attitude among employees in the workplace
 16 Lack of pre-requisite skills among employees in the workplace
17 High-stress levels among employees in the workplace
18 Mistaking business for productivity
19 Being a perfectionist during office activities
20 Reacting to everything immediately within and outside the working
environment

Solutions to the Challenges in Work Life Balance of emplyees

Sl No PROBLEM STSTEMENT SA A N D SD
21 Setting boundaries and working hours
22 Accepting that there is no perfect work life balance
23 Finding a job that is loved
24 Prioritizing your health, and giving it greater attention
25 Making time for yourself and loved ones
26 Setting goals and priorities and sticking to them
27 Knowing the available options in the work place
28 Staying in the forefront of duties
29 Providing means of telecommunication among health workers

30 Retaining employers as part time or contractors, or using phased

retirement