Work-life balance and work engagement across the European workforce: a comparative analysis of welfare states. 2023

Janina M Björk-Fant, and Pernilla Bolander, and Anna K Forsman
Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland.

Few large-scale, comparative studies have examined both the positive mental well-being outcomes of work-life balance and the broader socio-economic context by which it is shaped. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between work-life balance and work engagement across a wide range of European welfare states, as well as to examine whether work-life balance varies across European countries and whether this variance can be explained by welfare regime, controlling for individual-level factors. This study utilized data from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey. In total, 35 401 workers from 30 European countries could be classified into the adopted welfare regime typology. Work engagement was measured using an ultra-short version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and work-life balance with a question on the fit between working hours and family or social commitments. Due to the hierarchical structure of the data, multilevel regression models were applied. A statistically significant positive association between work-life balance and work engagement across the European workforce was found. Between-country variance in work-life balance was demonstrated and this can in part be explained by welfare regime. While it has long been recognized that occupational stress and work-related mental health problems are shaped by the socio-economic context and thus regarded as public health concerns in Europe, our results suggest that this applies to well-being at work and related support factors as well.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008603 Mental Health Emotional, psychological, and social well-being of an individual or group. Mental Hygiene,Health, Mental,Hygiene, Mental
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005060 Europe The continent north of AFRICA, west of ASIA and east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN. Northern Europe,Southern Europe,Western Europe
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072358 Work-Life Balance Complex ongoing balance between a person's working life and private life. Work-Family Balance,Work-Life Conflict,Life-Work Imbalance,Balance, Work-Family,Balances, Work-Family,Conflict, Work-Life,Conflicts, Work-Life,Work Family Balance,Work Life Conflict,Work-Family Balances,Work-Life Conflicts
D000074824 Work Engagement Extent to which members of a workplace perceive their emotional commitment to and involvement in the organization and its goals. Employee Engagement,Employee Participation,Staff Engagement,Staff Participation,Worker Participation,Workplace Engagement,Engagement, Employee,Engagement, Staff,Engagement, Work,Engagement, Workplace,Participation, Employee,Participation, Staff,Participation, Worker,Participations, Worker
D012946 Social Welfare Organized institutions which provide services to ameliorate conditions of need or social pathology in the community. Community Services,Services, Community,Community Service,Service, Community,Welfare, Social

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