The complexity of resources related to work-life balance and well-being – a survey among municipality employees in Sweden

Abstract

Increasing sickness absence rates among care and service employees in Sweden motivate health-promoting activities. It is crucial to employers and key stakeholders, like HRM departments, to have knowledge of resources related to employees' work life balance (WLB) to increase well-being at work. The aim of the study was to explore resources associated with WLB, with focus on work and private lives among care and service employees. A questionnaire survey to a total population of two municipality departments (n = 631, response rate 76%) was conducted. A linear regression model showed five significant main resources related to WLB: a positive life situation, recovery, a positive time experience at work, a positive time experience in private life and well-being. Logistics regression models further exploring the main resources showed essential sub-resources such as health-promoting leadership, supportive home environment and reflection on everyday life. This two-step analysis with a salutogenic perspective points out a holistic and complex picture of possibilities to promote employees’ WLB and well-being. These findings can be used as a supportive framework for HR departments in charge of competence development for managers. Moreover, the results are important in both policy-making and as a foundation for workplace health promotion (WHP) interventions.

Keywords:

• Salutogenesis
• workplace health promotion
• work-life balance
• municipality employees
• management
• policy-making

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Acknowledgement

We wish to express our gratitude to the participants and managers who took the time and effort to contribute to a further understanding of resources promoting work-life balance. We also wish to thank Prof. EM Göran Ejlertsson and PhD Student Marie Nilsson for their contributions and commitment in the questionnaire process. Furthermore, we would like to thank the reviewers and editors for their effort and time to make our paper more clear and comprehensive. This study was financed by Kristianstad University.