The Impact of Flexibility and Work-Life Balance on Employee Productivity and Well-being in IT

Abstract This paper quantitatively estimates the effect of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) on productivity and well- being with reference to 267 Indian IT professionals. The main goal is to determine which of the two concepts perceived productivity efficacy or work-life balance (WLB) satisfaction is the more influential concept in psychological terms in order to establish which concept is the strongest predictor of mental well-being among employees at work in flexible working conditions. The results provided after the analysis based on cross- sectional survey and multiple linear regression allow concluding that workers in flexible work schemes are much more satisfied with WLB compared to those working on-site, though WLB is not a strong predictor of well-being. Rather, perceived productivity benefit becomes the only important positive predictor of employee well-being. On-site, hybrid, and remote models do not present a significant difference in terms of productivity perceptions, whereas the hybrid model can help significantly lower social isolation as opposed to complete remote work. The findings indicate that companies ought to focus on productive autonomy that requires the connection of flexibility and performance efficacy and not to count solely on the expansive WLB programs in maintaining long-term well-being and performance. Keywords Flexible workings; Perceived productivity gain; Work-life balance contentment; Worker welfare; Hybrid work framework; Indian IT workers.