Work-life balance : employee perspective

PURPOSE: The significance of achieving work-life balance (WLB) has grown within the European Union. This presents challenges for businesses. The main objective of the study is is to analyze and evaluate the WLB of Polish employees.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The theoretical framework was derived from the Scopus database and analyzed using VOSviewer software. A survey using an online survey questionnaire was carried out in 2023.FINDINGS: Respondents place a strong emphasis on the importance of additional days off and flexible working hours in achieving a better WLB. They highlight conflicts in the workplace, bullying, and job burnout as the main obstacles to achieving WLB. Among the participants, 45% have encountered workplace conflict, 73% have experienced bullying, and 58% have faced professional burnout in the work environment.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The publication deals with WLB tools, WLB barriers, and the work environment in the context of conflict, bullying, and burnout. The findings of the empirical research can be used by Polish companies to implement WLB policies.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: WLB is currently a significant issue in Poland. The OECD Better Life Index report on the average working hours of employees reveals that Polish workers work on average 115 hours more than the European average compared to other European countries. Furthermore, according to the Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu 2020 report, only a small percentage of companies in Poland have adopted WLB practices. WLB is a challenge for Polish companies. This paper fills a research gap in this area.peer-reviewe