Assessing The Influence of Work-Life Balance on Attrition Intent: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement among IT Professionals in Chennai

This study investigates how work-life balance (WLB) influences the intention of IT professionals ‎to leave their organizations, with employee engagement examined as a mediating factor. The ‎research is grounded in the context of Chennai’s dynamic IT industry, where long working hours, ‎stress, and role ambiguity have heightened attrition rates. Using a structured questionnaire and a ‎sample of 665 IT professionals, the study employs correlation and regression analyses to explore ‎the relationships among WLB, engagement, and attrition intent. The findings reveal that poor ‎work-life balance significantly increases turnover intent, while higher engagement levels partially ‎mediate this effect. These insights can guide HR practitioners to strengthen retention through ‎targeted engagement strategies and flexible work policies. The technological intensity of the IT ‎sector adds another layer to this dynamic. Agile project cycles, continuous client interactions across ‎time zones, and the constant need to reskill in emerging technologies exacerbate work–life strain ‎and complicate engagement outcomes. These IT-specific demands situate the findings firmly ‎within the applied sciences and highlight the intersection of digital work structures and human ‎capital challenges‎.