Work Life Balance and Its Effect on Job Satisfaction among Women Employees: A Study of IT Firms in Chennai

Abstract

Work-life balance (WLB) has become a highly critical determinant in employee satisfaction, productivity, and well-being, particularly in women with high work demands in the Information Technology (IT) sector where work-related responsibilities are expected to be performed not only at work, but also elsewhere. The study examines the relationship between socio-economic profiles—specifically age, educational qualification, and designation—and the level of work-life balance among 200 employees in selected IT firms in Chennai. Using cross-tabulation and Chi-square tests, the findings revealed that although descriptive variations exist across age groups, education levels, and designations, none of these factors demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with work-life balance. Younger employees stated that relatively higher levels of balance, while mid-career employees tended toward moderate balance due to professional and personal responsibilities. Similarly, male employees reported slightly higher levels of balance compared to females, though not at a significant level. Educational qualifications and job designations showed variations but did not significantly influence WLB. The article concludes that organizational culture, workload and policies, instead of socio-economic factors, might influence the work-life balance issues in IT companies. The findings underscore the need of IT organizations to embrace employee-centric policies and practices that are flexible so as to promote the work-life balance among various employees.