Chapter 4: Work–life Balance and Flexible Working Arrangements: A Psychological Perspective

In recent times, work–life balance has become a key component in everyone's life, no matter where he or she is working. The question arises when there is a disbalance and a lack of knowledge on maintaining a positive work–life balance. A positive work–life balance can be achieved through maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our lifestyle is displayed while executing our duties and responsibilities in our world of work, both paid and unpaid. However, due to work stress and long working hours, one's mental, physical, and spiritual health is also affected due to the extreme emotional labor involved in executing tasks assigned. To address this issue, flexible working arrangements need to be integrated into our policies and legislation. Since flexible working arrangements will provide working individuals with more time to focus on recreation, spend time with friends and family, and work on oneself, it proves to be beneficial to improve one's psychological and physical health. This chapter provides an in-depth case study of an employee who was previously working in an organization with no flexible arrangements and is now working in another organization with a hybrid mode of working and flexible arrangements. This chapter also emphasizes the key differences between the two arrangements, how it impacts the quality of life of employees, and a psychological perspective within the context of work–life balance.