The Significance of Job Demands, Resources, Employee Burnout, and Work Engagement for Work–Life Balance

Abstract

Professional, motivated, and productive employees represent one of the most important conditions for the effective operation of modern organizations, seeking to adapt to a dynamic social and economic environment and the constantly changing needs of society. This highlights the importance of maintaining a work–life balance for employees, as only those who have a fulfilling life can make the best use of their skills and energy to perform their work. Research shows that, in order to encourage organizations to create favorable conditions for employees so that they could maintain a work–life balance, it is important to understand the significance of work environment factors and work-related employee well-being for this balance. The aim of this study is to examine the significance of job demands, resources, employee burnout, and work engagement for work–life balance. The theoretical assumptions of the study are related to the Job Demands-Resources Theory (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017) and Kalliath and Brough’s (2008) concept of work–life balance. The cross-sectional study used an online survey method, with 222 employees from various organizations participating, 85% of whom were women, with an average age of 32.3 years. Data were collected by using scales measuring job demands, resources, burnout (Bakker, 2014), work engagement (Schaufeli et al., 2017), and work–life balance (Brough et al., 2014). Analysis using descriptive statistics, correlation, and structural equation modeling has revealed that burnout mediates the relationships between job demands and work–life balance and between job resources and work–life balance. Work engagement was positively associated with work–life balance but did not mediate the relationship between job resources and work–life balance. Further research directions and practical recommendations are discussed.