Working condition and work-life balance of working women in a tertiary care hospital in a metropolitan city of Tamil Nadu: a cross sectional study

ABSTRACT

Background: Quality of work life and work life balance needs to be assessed as there is decline in labor force of married working women. The current study attempted to assess working conditions and work life balance of married working women in tertiary care hospital.Methods: A cross sectional section was conducted in tertiary health care hospital for six months period. A total of 254 married working women of various professions such as doctors, nurses, human resource, hospital administrators, secretaries, attenders and housekeeping were selected using universal sampling method. The data collection was done using the instrument “work environment survey 2011 (we are finding patterns in employee attitudes)” for assessing working condition and “work life conflict scale” to assess the work life balance of these women. Results were expressed in frequency, mean and chi square with p<0.5 was significant.Results: About half of the study population women 152 (59.84%) are involved in health care sector and 53.94% of them earn per capita income of above 20,000. The mean of total working conditions score in the study population is 13.82 with a standard deviation of 4.64. Increase workload and nature of spouse are associated with poor working condition.Conclusions: Majority of married women working in tertiary care hospital were moderately satisfied with the working conditions. Quality of work life can be promoted by recognition of the work done, providing autonomy of work, sufficient staffing with better working environment.