Experiences of Social Workers in Balancing Work and Family Demands: A Phenomenological Study

Social workers are crucial professionals who provide essential services to individuals, families, and communities dealing with various issues like trauma, abuse, mental illness, and poverty. This study “Experiences of Social Workers in Balancing Work and Family Demands in Ozamis City at City Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)”, explored the challenges, coping mechanisms, organizational support and aspirations of social workers as they balance both their personal responsibilities and professional obligations. The selected seven (7) social workers from a local government participated in in-depth interviews using a phenomenological-qualitative research design. The findings showed that participants were experiencing emotional exhaustion, time constraints, and a lack of institutional support. However, participants used a variety of coping mechanisms, such as timemanagement, family support, and personal resilience to navigate and balance these challenges. This study underscores the importance of work-life balance-promoting policies, such as flexible work schedules and mental health support to enhance social workers' health and job satisfaction.