From work-life balance to decent work: A systematic review of flexible work arrangements linking well-being, retention, and workforce sustainability

Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) have become focal points in today's discussion of work-life balance, employee well-being, and sustainable employment. There have been, however, isolated studies on various outcomes or types of flexibility that have not placed FWAs in the context of decent work and workforce sustainability. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting a systematic literature review of 47 studies that identifies how FWAs operate as multi-level mechanisms linking employee well-being (micro-level), retention-related outcomes (meso-level), and workforce sustainability (macro-level). This review, guided by the PRISMA framework and conducted through a structured search of both research databases (Scopus and Web of Science), combines the findings from a variety of methodological and institutional approaches. The results show that FWAs are positively related to well-being and turnover intention reduction, mainly due to increased autonomy, engagement and organisational commitment. These benefits, however, are contingent and can be compromised by work intensification, role ambiguity, unequal access and uneven implementation. From a macro perspective, FWAs play a supporting role in decent work and Sustainable Development Goal 8, when integrated into coherent organisational practices and supportive labour-governance framework. Overall, the study rethinks FWAs as conditional pathways to sustainable and inclusive employment systems and provides theoretical integration and practical implications for organisations and policymakers.