Work–Life Balance (WLB) and Managing Stress: A Study in the IT Sector

Work–life balance (WLB) is about effectively managing the juggling act between work and other activities that are important to us, including spending time with family, taking part in sports and recreation, volunteering or undertaking further study. Research suggests that improving the balance between our working lives and our lives outside work can bring real benefits to both employers and employees. It can help build strong communities and productive businesses. Introducing appropriate employment practices to help employees achieve a better WLB brings tangible benefits to one's business. It can enable employees to feel more in control of their working life and can also lead to increased productivity, lower absenteeism and a happier, less-stressed workforce.

Certain employees have the right to request flexible working. Demographic changes, including an ageing population and smaller family structures, will increase the likelihood of employees requesting flexible working arrangements.

This paper reviews aspects of theory and research on WLB. It starts by exploring why WLB has become an important topic for research and policy in IT companies, and after outlining traditional perspectives, it examines the concept of balance and its implications for the study of the relationship between work and the rest of life. It also discusses the relationship between work and stress at workplace.