Editorial Board

A Refereed Monthly International Journal of Management

Occupational Health and Work-Life Balance: Implications for Employee Well-Being

Dr. Istkar Ahmed

Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy and Paramedical Sciences, Himalayan University, Arunachal Pradesh, India

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5990-5824

 

Dr. Mazharunnisa

Associate Professor, KL Business School, Koneru Lakshmaiah Educational Foundation

Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3046-9294

 

Dr. Sapna Bansal

Associate Professor, School of Law, GD Goenka University, Haryana, India

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4262-6418

 

Dr. Nik Alif Amri Nik Hashim

Senior Lecturer, Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Malaysia

nikalifamri@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4966-9592

 

Dr. Ashu

Assistant Professor,School of Management, GD Goenka University, Haryana, India

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9948-365X

 

Corresponding Author: Dr. Nik Alif Amri Nik Hashim: nikalifamri@gmail.com

 

Abstract:

A healthy balance between work-life and occupational health has far-reaching ramifications that go beyond personal fulfilment to include organizational productivity, employee retention, and the general well-being of society. The study explored the many facets of occupational health, including physical, mental, and social well-being in the workplace, by looking at actual data, theoretical frameworks, and useful insights from a variety of literature, to understand the complex interrelationship between work-life balance (WLB) and occupational health (OH) and the significant effects these relationships have on workers' well-being in modern workplaces.To serve the objectives of the study the data was collected with the help of a questionnaire from IT employees of Chennai. The same was analysed by using mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and chi-square test. Results show that improved employee well-being and a harmonious work-life balance are correlated in a positive direction. This research highlighted the significance ofanequilibrium between occupational and personal obligations to lower work-family conflict, improve health outcomes, and increase employee job satisfaction.Additionally,the study reflected on the important organizational elements in determining WLB and, in turn, employee welfare. These elements are supportive organizational cultures, effective policies, and leadership behaviours.As a result of clarifying the broad implications of occupational health and work-life balance for worker well-being, this study contributes to the growing domain on these topics. It promotes all-encompassing strategies that combine leadership commitment, strategic interventions, and organizational support to create work environments that promote holistic employee well-being in a range of professional contexts.

Keywords:Occupational Health, Work-Life Balance, Employee Well-Being, IT sector

 

INTRODUCTION

In an era characterized by the relentless pursuit of professional success and heightened performance expectations, the intersection of occupational health and work-life balance (WLB) has become a crucial issue affecting employees worldwide. The evolving landscape of work dynamics, coupled with the ever-increasing demands imposed by modern professions, has significantly influenced the well-being of individuals within the workforce.

In today's dynamic workplace, research about the impact of occupational health& WLB on the well-being of employees is crucial for many reasons.

1. Employee Happiness and Health: Workers' comprehension of the link between WLB and occupational health has a direct influence on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. A happier workplace and higher job satisfaction are directly correlated with improved well-being (Gorjifard & Crawford, 2021).
2. Productivity and Performance: Research by Ansari et al. (2015) indicated that job performance and productivity are positively impacted by a positive work-life balance. Workers who successfully balance their personal and professional lives are frequently more productive, motivated, and focused.
3. Retention and Recruitment: Putting employee well-being first increases an organization's attractiveness to potential hires and aids in talent retention. Identifying and putting into practice solutions that promote occupational health and work-life balance can improve an organization's capacity to draw in and keep top talent (Zheng et. al., 2015).
4. Costs and Absenteeism: The combination of occupational health problems and a poor work-life balance can result in higher absenteeism rates and higher healthcare expenditures for businesses and employees as per the study by Bhende, Gani and Reddy (2020). Comprehending these ramifications can facilitate the development of economic measures to alleviate these difficulties.
5. Social and Societal Impact: The harmony between OH and WLB has effects on society as a whole in addition to the effects at the individual level. Better work-life balance and enhanced occupational health are associated with healthier relationships, greater community contributions, and improved workplace cultures among employees (Shabir & Gani, 2020).
6. Policy and Organizational Change: Organizations are responsible for creating workplace policies and procedures that put the welfare of their employees first. This can result in systemic adjustments that help workers in different sectors of the economy (Puspitasari & Darwin, 2021).

A healthy balance between work-life and occupational health has far-reaching ramifications that go beyond personal fulfilment to include organizational productivity, employee retention, and the general well-being of society(Wood,Parkey, & Kimmie, 2020). Fostering a workplace that promotes holistic employee well-being requires an understanding of how these elements interact (Pacee& Scirto, 2021). This is important for more than just bettering people's lives; it also strengthens companies and society by fostering happier, healthier, and more productive workplaces.

This study explores the many facets of occupational health, including social, emotional, and physical well-being at work, while acknowledging the importance of this connection. In addition, it aims to disentangle the convoluted relationships that characterize and mould work-life balance by exploring its complex aspects that go beyond simple time distribution across the realms of work and personal life. In summary, this paper seeks to contribute to the burgeoning discourse on occupational health and work-life balance, elucidating their profound implications for employee well-being in contemporary work settings.

Literature Review:

The below literature offers a diverse range of perspectives, empirical evidence, and theoretical frameworks concerning occupational health, WLB, and their implications for employee well-being:

Greenhaus &Jllen (2011) explored the intricate relationship between work and personal life, emphasizing on individual health. They introduced the concept of boundary management strategies and their implications for reducing work-family conflict.Quick & Tetrick (2011) delved into the domain of occupational health psychology, examining stressors and health outcomes within work settings. It emphasized the role of organizational factors and psychosocial aspects in shaping employee health and well-being.

Sharma&Tiwari (2008) investigated the association betweenjob attrition and the balance of professional-personal life. It shed light on how striking an equilibrium of professional-personal obligations affects workers' views and plans to quit their jobs. Biron& van Veldhoven (2016) attempted to focus on flexible work arrangements through this study which examined its effects on employee health, job satisfaction, and career outcomes. It discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of such arrangements for employee well-being.

The research study by LaMontagneet al. (2007) tried to present a global perspective on occupational health, discussing its significance in improving the health and well-being of workers. It highlighted the economic and societal value of investing in occupational health initiatives.Allen et al. (2013) attempted to address work-life balance initiatives. They investigated their impact on mental health outcomes among employees. It offers insights into the effectiveness of various initiatives made by organizations to enhance WLB.

Kelloway et al. (2017) explored the role of leadership in fostering a healthy work environment. It discusses how leadership behaviours and organizational practices influence occupational health and work-life balance for employees.

IT workers frequently spend long hours sitting at computers, which can result in a sedentary lifestyle, according to Lalloo et al. (2021). This inactivity is linked to several health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, and musculoskeletal disorders. Singh & Wadhwa (2006) emphasized the problems with ergonomics that affect IT workers. Back pain, neck pain, and repetitive strain injuries are just a few of the physical discomforts that can be caused by poor workstation ergonomics. Carpal tunnel syndrome and other related disorders can result from extended use of keyboards and mice.

Aziz (2004) attempted to investigate psychological concerns, such as elevated stress levels among female IT professionals. High levels of stress can be attributed to the fast-paced nature of the IT industry, the pressure to meet deadlines, and the requirement for ongoing skill development among IT professionals. IT professionals' burnout was attempted to be highlighted by Salanova, Peiró, and Schaufeli (2002). Burnout can result from long work hours combined with the pressure to produce results. Emotional exhaustion, decreased performance, and detached and cynical feelings are the hallmarks of burnout.

Research Gap:

The above literature covers a wide spectrum of research, providing insights into the complexities and implications of managing work and personal life within organizational settings. They span from conceptual frameworks to empirical studies, highlighting the critical role played by factors like leadership, organizational culture, and flexible work arrangements in shaping employee health and satisfaction. Each of these works contributes uniquely to underscore the importance of considering both individual and organizational aspects in fostering a healthy environment at work that supports the holistic employees’ well-being.

Drawing upon varied sources this review provides a robust foundation for exploring the implications of occupational health and work-life balance on employee well-being across diverse contexts and organizational settings.

Objectives

1. To study the parameters of occupational health of IT employees
2. To analyze the work-life balance status of IT employees
3. To identify differences in occupational health and work-life balance of IT employees concerning their demographic variables
4. To check the impact of work-life balance on the occupational health of IT employees
5. To describe the well-being status of IT employees

Hypotheses

1. There is no significant difference in occupational health of IT employees concerning their demographic variables.
2. There is no significant difference in the work-life balance of IT employees for their demographic variables.
3. There is no significant impact on work-life balance on the occupational health of IT employees.

Research Methodology

• Research Design: A descriptive research approach was employed since the goal of the study is to examine the state of work-life balance and occupational health among IT workers. Later studies also attempted to examine the effect of work-life balance on IT workers' occupational health, hence the causal research design was also used.
• Sampling: The population frame comprised all of the IT professionals employed by Chennai's various IT organizations. By using the purposive sampling method 213 IT employees working at different levels of the organization have been included in the sample.
• Data Collection Tool: The major data used in the study was gathered through the use of questionnaires. The questionnaire was divided into three parts i.e. (a) demographic profile of respondents (b) occupational health of respondents and (c) work-life balance of respondents.
• Data Analysis Tool: MS Excel and SPSS 21.0 have been used as analytical software. The chi-square test, coefficient of variation, mean, and standard deviation were employed to support the study's goals.

Results

Description of Demographic profiles:

Table 1 presents the data related to the respondents' employment profile and demographics that were gathered in the first section of the questionnaire.

1. Gender of Respondents:As per the depicted data around 55% of the respondents were male and the rest 45.07% respondents were female.
2. Respondents’ Age:Based on the age split shown in Table 1, the majority of IT professionals were aged between 35 to 50 years (48.36%) followed by 20 to 35 years (45.54%). Less than 6% of the IT professionals were aged between 50 to 65 years (5.16%) and only 0.94% of respondents were aged above 65 years.
3. Marital Status of Respondents: As this research is aimed at studying the work-life balance of IT professionals it is important to know their marital status. As per the results, more than half of the respondents (50.23%) were married. It was found that 8.45% of IT professionals were either divorced or widows.
4. Number of Children: It was observed that 44.60% of IT professionals had one or two children and 2.82% of respondents had more than two children. More than half of the respondents (52.58%) were either single or did not have children.
5. Job Experience: The respondents were categorized into three groups based on their job experience, as indicated in Table 1 below. The majority of respondents (58.22%) reported having five to ten years of experience, followed by those with fewer than five years (32.39%) and those with more than ten years (9.39%).
6. Position in department: When asked to describe their role or hierarchy inside the department, respondents revealed that 35.21% of them were working at lower management, 46.95% of IT professionals were designated at middle management, 7.98% of respondents were in upper management and remaining respondents (9.86%) were not the permanent employees of the company. These employees were working as contractual staff or consultants of the company.

Table 1: Demographic & Professional Profile of Respondents

Gender	N	Percentage	Work Experience	N	Percentage
Male	117	54.93	Less than 5 Years	69	32.39
Female	96	45.07	5 to 10 Years	124	58.22
Transgender	0	0.00	More than 10 Years	20	9.39
Total	213	100	Total	213	100
Age	N	Percentage	Position in Dept	N	Percentage
20-35 Years	97	45.54	Lower Management	75	35.21
35-50 Years	103	48.36	Middle Management	100	46.95
50-65 Years	11	5.16	Upper Management	17	7.98
Above 65 Years	2	0.94	Contractual/ Consultants	21	9.86
Total	213	100	Total	213	100
Marital Status	N	Percentage	No of Children	N	Percentage
Single	88	41.31	Not applicable/No Children	112	52.58
Married	107	50.23	One of Two	95	44.60
Divorced/Widow	18	8.45	More than two	6	2.82
Total	213	100	Total	213	100

 

Occupational Health of IT Employees

Occupational health is a broad concept that generally deals with two specific concepts i.e. psychological health and physical health of employees. The combined result of the psychological and physical health of employees decided their occupational health, so this section presents the data about theoccupational health of IT employees in the following subsections:-

a). Psychological Health of IT Employees:The psychological health of employees describes their mental status at work.To study the psychological health of employees they were given a list of psychological situations and they were asked how frequently they face such situations. The scale was set on five points such as never, seldom, sometimes, often, and always. Table 2 depicts the mean score of every psychological situation along with the standard deviation and coefficient of variation. It is observed that all the mean scores range from 3.32 to 3.72 with high values of coefficient of variations, which indicates the heterogeneity in the opinion of respondents. As per the analysis presented it happens very often that IT professionals are not able to enjoy normal activities (mean=3.72), they consider themselves as worthless person (mean=3.68) and they feel constantly under strain (mean=3.58). It was also observed that sometimes IT professionals are not able to concentrate on their work (mean=3.36), they don’t find themselves capable of overcoming their difficulties (mean=3.33), and sometimes they feel depressed about unhappy (mean=3.32)

Table 2: Psychological Health of IT Employees

Psychological Health Items	Mean	S.D.	C.V.	Frequency
I feel constantly under strain	3.58	1.85	0.52	Often
I don’t find myself capable of overcoming my difficulties	3.33	2.20	0.66	Sometimes
I feel depressed or unhappy	3.32	2.34	0.70	Sometimes
I consider myself a worthless person	3.68	1.72	0.47	Often
I am not able to enjoy my normal activities	3.72	1.90	0.51	Often
I am not able to concentrate on my work	3.36	1.98	0.59	Sometimes

 

After summing up the scores of individual items,Table 3 shows the overall psychological health of IT professionals. According to results around 3/5^th of the IT professionals (60.09%) were suffering from a bad state of psychological health whereas only 14.55% of respondents had average psychological health which can be considered neither good nor bad. Around 1/4^th of the IT professionals (25.35%) were found to enjoy good overall psychological health.

 

Table 3: Overall Psychological Health of IT Employees

Overall Psychological Health	N	Percentage
Good	54	25.35
Average	31	14.55
Bad	128	60.09
Total	213	100

 

b). Physical Health of IT Employees:Similarto psychological health the IT professionals were given a list of situations related to physical health and they were asked how frequently they face such situations. The final opinion of respondents was ascertained with the help of the mean score as shown in Table 4. It can be seen that all the mean scores are greater than 3.40 which means that respondents often face all the situations. According to results IT professionals often feel itchy, dry or red eyes (mean=4.07), migraine (mean=4.04), joint pain (mean=3.94), tiredness or fatigue (mean=3.62), sick (mean=3.48) and blurred or double vision (mean=3.45).

Table 4: Physical Health of IT Employees

Physical Health Items	Mean	S.D.	C.V.	Frequency
I have blurred or double vision	3.45	2.03	0.59	Often
I feel tiredness or fatigue	3.62	1.51	0.42	Often
I feel ill	3.48	1.65	0.47	Often
I face migraine	4.04	0.80	0.20	Often
I feel pain in my joints	3.94	1.27	0.32	Often
I feel itchy, dry or red eyes	4.07	1.09	0.27	Often

 

Table 5 presents the overall physical health status of respondents. Only 15.96% of IT professionals had agood state of physical health whereas as majority of IT professionals (64.79%) were suffering from bad physical health. 19.25% of IT professionals had neither good nor bad i.e. average state of physical health.

Table 5: Overall Physical Health of IT Employees

Overall Physical Health	N	Percentage
Good	34	15.96
Average	41	19.25
Bad	138	64.79
Total	213	100

 

 

c). Overall Occupational Health of IT Employees:As already discussed the combination of psychological and physical health of employees defines their occupational health, so Table 6 presents the overall occupational health status of IT professionals. As per results,the majority of IT professionals were suffering from a bad state of psychological (60.09%) and physical (64.79%) health which ultimately depicts that 62.44% of IT professionals were having a bad state of occupational health. Out of the rest, the occupational health of 16.90% of respondents was average whereas 20.66% of respondents were found to have a good state of occupational health.

Table 6: Overall Occupational Health of IT Employees

Health Status	Psychological Health		Physical Health		Overall Occupational  Health
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Good	54	25.35	34	15.96	44	20.66
Average	31	14.55	41	19.25	36	16.90
Bad	128	60.09	138	64.79	133	62.44
Total	213	100	213	100	213	100

 

Persons belonging to different demographic groups may have different mental & physical states so the following hypothesis has been made to examine the effect of demographic factors on the occupational health of IT professionals.:-

H₀1:There are no significant differences in the occupational health of IT employees concerning their demographic variables

H_a1:There are significant differences in the occupational health of IT employees concerning their demographic variables

The chi-square test was used to investigate this hypothesis, and the results are shown in Table 7. The chi-statistic value for gender, number of children, job experience, and position of respondents is found to be significant at the 5% level, whereas the values for age and marital status of IT professionals are found to be not significant. Based on the findings, it can be inferred that there are differences in the occupational health of IT professionals based on factors such as gender, number of children, work experience, and departmental position.

Table 7: Chi-Square test results to measure the impact of demographic variables on the occupational health of IT employees

Demographic Profile		Overall Occupational Health				Chi-Square Value	p-Value	Significance
		Good	Average	Bad	Total
Gender	Male	20	26	71	117	6.07	0.048	Significant
	Female	24	10	62	96
	Total	44	36	133	213
Age	20-35 Years	15	13	69	97	9.406	0.151	Not Significant
	35-50 Years	27	18	58	103
	50-65 Years	2	4	5	11
	Above 65 Years	0	1	1	2
	Total	44	36	133	213
Marital Status	Single	12	15	61	88	7.0415	0.133	Not Significant
	Married	29	16	62	107
	Divorced/Widow	3	5	10	18
	Total	44	36	133	213
No of Children	Not applicable/No Children	12	17	83	112	16.892	0.002	Significant
	One of Two	30	18	47	95
	More than two	2	1	3	6
	Total	44	36	133	213
Work Experience	Less than 5 Years	18	22	29	69	30.771	0.000	Significant
	5 to 10 Years	21	8	95	124
	More than 10 Years	5	6	9	20
	Total	44	36	133	213
Position in Dept.	Lower Management	14	16	45	75	17.331	0.008	Significant
	Middle Management	22	7	71	100
	Upper Management	4	5	8	17
	Contractual/ Consultants	4	8	9	21
	Total	44	36	133	213

Level of Significance=5%

 

1. Work-life Balance of IT Professionals

A balance between an employee's personal and professional obligations is referred to as their work-life balance. The situation of imbalance arises when personal/professional responsibilities hinder the fulfilment of professional/personal responsibilities, so this section presents the data about the work-work-life balance of IT employees in the following subsections:-

a). Family-Work Conflict of IT Employees: The situation of family-work conflict arises when due to personal life the employee fails to accomplish professional responsibilities. After being given a set of assertions, the respondents were asked to rate how much they agreed or disagreed with each statement on a five-point scale that went from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The overall opinion of IT professionals was identified with the help of mean scores as shown in table 8. According to results family demands force IT professionals to wind up their office work early (mean=3.51) and many times they take leaves due to family issues (mean=3.51). A significant number of respondents indicated that family members interfere in their official work (mean=3.34) and more than half of the respondents indicated that due to family pressure, they can’t do things at the office that they want to do (mean=3.26).

Table 8: Family-Work Conflict of IT Employees

Family - Work Conflict Statements	Mean	S.D.	C.V.	Agreement Level
Due to family demands, I have to wind up office work early	3.51	1.09	0.31	Agree
Family members interfere in my official work	3.34	1.04	0.31	Neutral
Due to family pressure, I can't do things at the office which I want to do	3.26	1.37	0.42	Neutral
I often take a full day or half leaves due to family issues	3.51	1.40	0.40	Agree

 

Table 9 presents the overall level of family-work conflict among IT employees. It could be observed that more than half of the IT professionals (53.99%) were facing a high level of family-work conflict followed by a medium level (25.35%) and low level (20.66%) of family-work conflict.

Table 9: Overall Level of Family-Work Conflict

Overall Level of Family-Work Conflict	N	Percentage
High	115	53.99
Medium	54	25.35
Low	44	20.66
Total	213	100.00

 

b). Work-Family Conflict of IT Employees:When an employee fails to fulfil family responsibilities due to work pressure then it is termed as a work-family conflict. Table 10 shows the respondents' agreement with the statements related to the family-work conflict in their lives. The IT professionals strongly indicated that due to professional responsibilities, I couldn't give sufficient time to my family (mean=4.38). The respondents agreed that their job responsibilities force them to change personal plans (mean=3.64), due to work pressure they can't do things at home that they want to do (mean=3.61) and their work assignments often make their family life stressful (mean=3.56).

Table 10: Work-Family Conflict of IT Employees

Work-Family Conflict Statements	Mean	S.D.	C.V.	Agreement Level
Due to professional responsibilities, I couldn't give sufficient time to my family	4.38	0.79	0.18	Strongly Agree
Due to work pressure, I can't do things at home that I want to do	3.61	1.26	0.35	Agree
My job responsibilities force me to change personal plans	3.64	1.27	0.35	Agree
My Work assignments often make my family life stressful	3.56	1.64	0.46	Agree

 

According to the results shown in Table 11, a maximum number of IT professionals (67.14%) are suffering from high levels of work-family conflict. The work-family conflict level was medium for 17.84% of respondents whereas it was low for 15.02% of respondents.

Table 11: Overall Level of Work-Family Conflict

Overall Level of Work-Family Conflict	N	Percentage
High	143	67.14
Medium	38	17.84
Low	32	15.02
Total	213	100.00

 

c). Overall Work-Life Balance of IT Employees:After discussing the family-work conflict and work-family conflict status of respondents table 12 shows the overall work-life balance of IT professionals. It can be observed that 53.33% of respondents are suffering from a high level of family-work conflict and 67.14% of respondents are facing a high level of work-family conflict so it all indicates that 60.56% of IT professionals are facing a high level of work-life imbalance in their life or other words they are having low work-life balance. As per results, only 17.84% of IT professionals were having a high level of work-life balance.

Table 12: Overall Work-Life Balance of IT Employees

Work-Life		Family-Work Conflict		Work-Family Conflict		Overall Work-Life Balance
Balance	Imbalance	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Low	High	115	53.99	143	67.14	129	60.56
Medium	Medium	54	25.35	38	17.84	46	21.60
High	Low	44	20.66	32	15.02	38	17.84
Total	Total	213	100	213	100	213	100

 

The following hypothesis has been made to examine the effect of demographic factors on the work-life balance of IT workers:-

H₀2:There are no significant differences in the work-life balance of IT employees concerning their demographic variables

H_a2:There are significant differences in the work-life balance of IT employees to their demographic variables

The chi-square test was used to investigate this hypothesis, and the results are shown in Table 13. The chi-statistic value for gender, work experience, and position of respondents is found to be significant at the 5% level, but the values for age, marital status, and the number of children of IT professionals are found to be not significant. Thus, based on the findings, it can be said that the work-life balance of IT professionals differs concerning their gender, work experience, and position in the department.

Table 13: Chi-Square test results to measure the impact of demographic variables on work-life balance of IT employees

Demographic Profile		Overall Work-Life Balance				Chi-Square Value	p-Value	Significance
		High	Medium	Low	Total
Gender	Male	61	29	27	117	8.257	0.016	Significant
	Female	68	17	11	96
	Total	129	46	38	213
Age	20-35 Years	66	17	14	97	9.101	0.167	Not Significant
	35-50 Years	59	24	20	103
	50-65 Years	3	5	3	11
	Above 65 Years	1	0	1	2
	Total	129	46	38	213
Marital Status	Single	60	14	14	88	8.243	0.083	Not Significant
	Married	63	25	19	107
	Divorced/Widow	6	7	5	18
	Total	129	46	38	213
No of Children	Not applicable/No Children	76	18	18	112	7.714	0.102	Not Significant
	One of Two	51	25	19	95
	More than two	2	3	1	6
	Total	129	46	38	213
Work Experience	Less than 5 Years	37	20	12	69	9.848	0.043	Significant
	5 to 10 Years	84	21	19	124
	More than 10 Years	8	5	7	20
	Total	129	46	38	213
Position in Dept.	Lower Management	42	17	16	75	47.269	0.000	Significant
	Middle Management	76	15	9	100
	Upper Management	2	4	11	17
	Contractual/ Consultants	9	10	2	21
	Total	129	46	38	213

Level of Significance=5%

d). Well-Being Status of IT Professionals:

The well-being of an employee depends on his/her work-life balance and occupational health. For example, the one who has having high level of work-life balance also enjoys good occupational health and this is called the situation of excellent well-being. Table 14 shows the cross-tabulation between work-life balance and occupational health of IT employees which narrates about well-being status of IT professionals. From the data, it is clear that employees with high levels of work-life balance enjoy good levels of occupational health, and employees with low levels of work-life balance enjoy bad levels of occupational health.

To test this relationship statistically following hypothesis has been taken:-

H₀3:There is no significant impact of work-life balance on the occupational health of IT employees

H_a3:There is a significant impact of work-life balance on the occupational health of IT employees

The chi-square test was used to evaluate this hypothesis, and the results are shown in Table 14. It may be concluded that work-life balance has a major impact on the occupational health of IT personnel because the chi-square statistic is significant, which leads to the rejection of the hypothesis.

Table 14: Well-being Status of IT Professionals

Overall Work-Life Balance	Overall Occupational Health				Chi-Square Value	p-Value	Significance
	Good	Average	Bad	Total
Low	16	12	101	129	87.25	0.000	Significant
Medium	2	16	28	46
High	26	8	4	38
Total	44	36	133	213

Level of Significance=5%

DISCUSSION

 

The findings from studies investigating the intersection of occupational health and work-life balance reveal compelling insights into their implications for employee well-being:

1. Impact on Health Outcomes: Research by Ogwu et al. (2022) showed that a harmonious work-life balance correlates with better health outcomes among employees. People who successfully balance their personal and professional lives report lower stress levels, better mental and physical health, and general physical well-being.
2. Job Satisfaction and Retention: Research by Cheng &Xcarparo(2015) and Ckitz&Slofes (2011) indicates a robust association between job satisfaction and WLB. Employees who feel that their work-life balance is better are more likely to be committed to their organizations and to express greater job satisfaction.
3. Reduction in Work-Family Conflict:Conflict between work and family life has decreased due toenhanced personal-professional balance, such as boundary management and flexible work schedules (Sraano, Bijula&Niolretti, 2020). This reduction contributes significantly to enhanced well-being by allowing people to balance the demands of their personal and professional lives more effectively (Broughet al.,2020).
4. Organizational Benefits: Companies that prioritize work-life balance initiatives witness several organizational benefits. These include higher output, fewer absenteeism, lower rates of employee turnover, and a happier workplace environment. Moreover, they often attract and retain top talent due to their employee-centric approach (Choi& Kim, 2017).
5. Role of Leadership and Organizational Culture: According to Palumbo (2020), Leadership behaviors and the prevailing organizational culture play pivotal roles in shaping WLB and employee well-being. Supportive leadership that encourages a healthy work environment, promotes work flexibility, and values employee well-being tends to foster a positive work-life balance.
6. Global Significance and Economic Value: The global perspective on occupational health underscores its significance in improving employee health and well-being worldwide. According to Zing,Xiang & Paj (2020), Investing in occupational health initiatives not only benefits individuals but also holds economic and societal value by reducing healthcare costs and enhancing overall productivity.
7. Effectiveness of Interventions: Studies by Chan et al. (2020) and Vinberg & Danielson(2021) evaluated specific interventions aimed at improving work-life balance indicating varying degrees of effectiveness. Flexible work arrangements, supportive policies, and organizational programs aimed at promoting work-life balance have shown promise in positively impacting employee well-being.

 

Conclusion

1. The results indicated that more than 60% of the IT professionals were suffering from the bad status of psychological health (60.09%) and physical health (64.79%).
2. It was found that more than 3/5^th of the IT professionals were having a bad state of occupational health. The chi-square test results revealed that the occupational health of IT professionals was different concerning their gender, no of children, work experience and position in the department.
3. Analysis revealed that 53.99% of IT professionals were suffering from high levels of family-work conflict and 67.14% of IT professionals were facing high levels of work-family conflict in their lives.
4. It was observed that around 3/5^th of the IT professionals hada low level of work-life balance and their work-life balance was affected by their gender, work experience and position in the department.
5. Results highlighted that there is a significant impact of impact of work life balance on the occupational health of IT employees. One who is having high level of work-life balance also enjoys the good occupational health and this is called the situation of excellent well-being. So IT companies should give such facilities which can ensure work-life balance in the life of their employees so that ultimately the good occupational health and well-being of employees could be assured.

In summary, the findings collectively emphasize the profound impact of occupational health and WLB on the well-being of employees. They underscore the need for comprehensive approaches that encompass organizational support, effective policies, and leadership commitment to create environments conducive to enhancing employees' general quality of life and fostering work-life harmony.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Universiti Malaysia Kelantan for supported this study under UMK FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH GRANT (UMK-FUND), research code: R/FUND/A1100/01904A/001/2022/01120

 

 

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