Work-Life Balance and Occupational Stress among Urban Middle-Class Male Employees in India

Rapid economic liberalization, urban expansion, and the growth of the private sector have significantly transformed the nature of employment in India. Urban middle-class male employees, traditionally viewed as primary earners, increasingly face intense work demands, long hours, performance pressures, and job insecurity. This paper examines the relationship between work-life balance and occupational stress among urban middle-class male employees in India. By using a political economy and labour governance perspective, the study analyses structural factors like corporate work culture, labour policy implementation, contractualization, and socio-cultural expectations of masculinity. The paper argues that work-life imbalance has become a structural problem rather than an individual failure, contributing to psychological strain, declining well-being, and weakened social relations. Policy reforms, corporate accountability, and cultural shifts are necessary to address this growing concern.