Reducing Job Burnout and Enhancing Work–Life Balance in the Post-COVID Workplace

Work in the past two decades has been affected by a surge in technological progress that has blurred the boundaries between work and nonwork roles. It is thus difficult for employees to achieve and maintain work–life balance. From longer work hours to new job demands, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced persistent stressors to nearly every domain of work and work processes, particularly since working from home became an established phenomenon. Lockdowns and stay-at-home policies led to reduced face-to-face contact and created more opportunities for work–family conflicts, particularly for those with children or elderly relatives at home, leading to job burnout. Job burnout is a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors experienced on the job.

The post-COVID work environment presents unique challenges and changes that create a need for organizational change. The outbreak of the pandemic led many organizations to undergo business model adjustments, organizational restructuring, and strategic repositioning. Given the changed landscape of the post-COVID workplace, it is essential to explore ways to enhance work–home interface issues particularly work–life balance that improve job performance and to reduce the occupational stress that may eventually lead to job burnout.