The Impact of Work - Life Balance on Occupational Stress among Textile Workers in Tamil Nadu - A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study investigates the impact of work-life balance on occupational stress among textile workers in Tamil Nadu, a region known for its extensive textile industry. The study focuses on understanding how the demands of work and personal life intersect to influence the stress levels of these workers. With the textile industry being one of the largest employers in Tamil Nadu, the workforce often faces long working hours, stringent deadlines, and challenging working conditions, contributing to heightened stress levels. This stress is further compounded by the pressure to manage personal and family responsibilities, which are often overlooked in the discourse on labour welfare. The research adopts a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 30 textile workers across various roles within the industry. Participants were selected using purposive sampling to ensure a diverse representation in terms of age, gender, marital status, and work experience. The interviews explored the participants' perceptions of work-life balance, the strategies they employ to manage work and personal life, and the impact of this balance, or lack thereof, on their occupational stress. The findings reveal that poor work-life balance is a significant contributor to occupational stress among textile workers. Key factors influencing this imbalance include excessive working hours, insufficient rest periods, inadequate family support, and the lack of organizational policies that promote work-life balance. Workers reported feelings of burnout, fatigue, and frustration, which not only affect their mental and physical health.