An analysis of the Implications and Relationship between Work Life Balance and the Wellbeing
Employees in the Private Sector in Australia
Abstract
Work life balance is one of the most important topics for the professionals in academic research
and business practice. Literature indicates that work life balance is the key issue affecting the
wellbeing of employees while work and family are the most crucial aspects of every person’s
life. Competing work and family demands create conflicts that impact negatively on the
wellbeing of the employees. This research focused on examining the relationship and effects of
work life balance as determined by family-work and work-family conflicts on the wellbeing of
employees in the private sector in Australia. The wellbeing was examined in terms of family
satisfaction, job satisfaction and psychological health of the employees. A qualitative research
approach was followed where past studies were studied and analyzed to identify any
relationships or differences in regard to work life balance and employees’ wellbeing. The study
findings were that work life balance impacts positively on the work and family satisfaction as
well as psychological health while work life imbalance has a negative impact on these variables.
Work life balance and work life imbalance, thus, have an impact on the wellbeing of the
employees. Flexibility in workplaces as well as workplace support were found to enable
existence of work life balance. The study thus recommended that organizations should develop
flexible work schedules and support initiatives to try to bring in work life balance for their
employees.
1
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
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2
1.1 Research Questions
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4
1.2 Significance of the Study
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4
2.0 Literature Review
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6
2.1 Implications of Work Life Balance and Work Life Imbalance
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6
2.2 Employees’ Wellbeing
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7
2.3 The Association between Employee’s Wellbeing and Family Satisfaction
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8
2.4 The Association between Work Satisfaction and Employees’ Wellbeing
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8
2.5 Relationship between Psychological Health and Employees’ Wellbeing
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8
2.6 Benefits of Ensuring Employees’ Wellbeing
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9
2.7 Hypotheses
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10
3.0 Methodology
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10
3.1 Data Analysis
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11
4.0 Results and Discussion
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11
4.1 Results
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11
4.2 Discussion
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13
5.0 Conclusion
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16
5.1 Implications
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16
5.2 Recommendations
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17
6.0 Limitations and Further Research
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17
References
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18
2
1.0 Introduction
Work life balance is probably the most debated vocabulary in Australia. In 2001, John Howard,
the Prime Minister by then, labeled work life balance as a barbecue stopper as indicated by Kay
&AAP (2007). To date, much seem not to have been achieved in relation to work life balance.
Baker, et al. (2014) indicates that many employees do not even expect much about it.
Implications of work life balance and work life imbalance are therefore, critical issues for the
Australian employees. In 2009, The Australian Institute instigated the National Go Home on
Time Day move to try and talk with the about 12 million Australian employees on the need to
