Work-Life Balance Post Online Teaching: A Study among Educators in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Work–Life Balance Post Online Teaching: A Study among Educators in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Mohd Azerul Azim Haron, Muhamad Khalil Omar^*, Idaya Husna Mohd, Syezreen Dalina Rusdi, Norashikin Hussein, Ainie Hairianie Aluwi

Faculty of Business and Management, University Technology MARA, Cawangan Selangor 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

*Corresponding author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.905000166

Received: 21 April 2025; Accepted: 04 May 2025; Published: 04 June 2025

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to find out the factors of work-life balance among secondary school educators in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, after the mode of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The three identified factors that shall influence their work-life balance were job satisfaction, job demands, and job stress. To achieve this objective, 184 teachers from a total of 261 teachers in the five secondary schools were conveniently sampled using Google Forms. The collected data was analysed using SPSS software. The result found that only job stress significantly and negatively affected the work-life balance of those secondary school educators. Due to online learning, teachers have to adopt and adapt to the new teaching platform, which requires them to be more advanced and alert to curb all the current issues that come across. Reducing teachers’ stress in the face of such work pressures is an appropriate solution for addressing these problems. Therefore, those concerned must play a vital role to ensure that the work-life balance of teachers is secured and well-prepared to face any new upcoming challenges. Thus, the study is significant in providing evidence for developing policies to restore work-life balance for secondary school teachers. This will not only give balance but will also create happy personnel who will contribute more to the organisation.

Keywords: Job Demands, Job Satisfaction, Job Stress, Teacher, Work-Life Balance

INTRODUCTION

Education plays a critical role in realising Malaysia’s vision of becoming a developed nation by cultivating a knowledgeable, innovative, and skilled society (Yun & Yusoff, 2017). Since 1957, the Malaysian government has made sustained investments in the education sector to nurture well-educated and committed citizens (Yahya et al., 2012). Teachers are central to this mission, and their job performance is significantly shaped by factors such as work-life balance and professional autonomy (Johari et al., 2018). However, the increasing demands on teachers, particularly those related to irregular schedules and excessive workload, have led to rising levels of stress and deteriorating psychological health (Nurumal et al., 2017). Recognising the need to enhance overall well-being, the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) initiative was introduced to prioritise innovation, inclusive growth, and social welfare (Jayasingam et al., 2021).

Work-life balance (WLB) has become an increasingly relevant topic in both academic and professional settings due to changing workforce demographics and evolving work expectations (Helmle et al., 2014). The concept refers to an individual’s ability to manage professional duties while maintaining a healthy personal life (La Hart, 2020). When employees experience a lack of balance, it often results in emotional exhaustion, reduced productivity, and lower job satisfaction (Bataineh, 2019). In education, where the demands extend beyond the classroom into personal time, achieving WLB is critical to sustaining teacher well-being and maintaining high standards of instruction.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 significantly disrupted Malaysia’s education system. In response to the health crisis, the government enforced the Movement Control Order (MCO), which led to a nationwide shift from face-to-face teaching to remote learning (Wan Mohd Yunus et al., 2020). Schools and higher institutions were required to suspend physical operations and transition to digital platforms, introducing new demands and stressors for teachers (Putranti et al., 2020). The sudden reliance on virtual classrooms blurred the boundaries between work and personal life, compounding the psychological pressures already experienced by educators (Allen & Martin, 2017). Teachers were not only expected to master new technologies quickly but also to maintain student engagement and academic standards with little formal support.

Secondary school teachers in Malaysia, particularly in states like Negeri Sembilan, were deeply affected by this shift. Many faced challenges such as poor internet connectivity, unfamiliarity with online teaching tools, and extended work hours, all while managing household responsibilities. According to Suganya and Sankareshwari (2020), this new teaching environment led to increased stress, job dissatisfaction, and mental health concerns. Rosli and Abu Bakar (2021) further reported that during the MCO, teachers struggled with psychological strain as they adapted to this sudden transformation in their professional roles.

Despite growing international literature on WLB, few studies have focused specifically on Malaysian secondary school teachers and the unique pressures they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the existing research has examined employees in the United States (Alexander-Wright, 2020), Indonesia (Putranti et al., 2020), and other global contexts, but there remains a significant gap in understanding how public-school educators under Malaysia’s Ministry of Education (MOE) managed work-life challenges during this period. As one of the country’s largest government workforces (Federal Budget 2020), the experiences of these educators are crucial to shaping future educational resilience. This study therefore aims to examine the work-life balance of secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan about job demands, job stress, and job satisfaction amid the transition to online teaching.

Problem Statement

Work-life balance (WLB) is a crucial component for the well-being and productivity of individuals across various professions, particularly in education, where the mental and emotional demands are high. Teachers, especially those in secondary schools, play a pivotal role in shaping future generations, and their ability to maintain a healthy balance between personal and professional life significantly influences the quality of education delivered. According to Saeed and Farooqi (2014), female teachers are especially susceptible to work-life imbalance due to increasing responsibilities that demand constant attention and energy. Their study revealed that educators in Gujrat faced dissatisfaction due to institutional failure in supporting a fair balance between work and personal life.

The importance of teacher well-being became even more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted traditional education systems worldwide. In Malaysia, the Ministry of Education (MOE) suspended face-to-face instruction and mandated online learning (Rawal, 2021). This abrupt shift placed a heavy burden on teachers, especially in secondary schools across states like Negeri Sembilan, where many educators lacked sufficient digital resources and training to effectively manage virtual classrooms. The challenge of adapting to new teaching platforms while simultaneously handling personal responsibilities significantly increased job-related stress. Approximately 65% of teachers were already experiencing work-related stress before the pandemic (Rosli & Abu Bakar, 2021), and this figure rose during the health crisis, with 78% reporting that their workload had become overwhelming (Aperribai et al., 2020).

Furthermore, educators had to stay constantly updated with MOE directives and rapidly changing guidelines, which added to their workload and pressure. Online teaching required new pedagogical approaches and skills (Stone & Springer, 2019), forcing teachers to redesign lessons while managing unfamiliar technology and ensuring students kept pace with the curriculum. In Negeri Sembilan, many secondary school teachers struggled with unstable internet access, increased administrative tasks, and prolonged screen time, leading to mental exhaustion and emotional fatigue. Studies by Yayla and Eskiciİlgin (2021) and Besser et al. (2020) emphasized that new schedules, increased workload, and lack of boundaries between work and home contributed to heightened levels of stress and decreased job satisfaction.

The intersection of these factors has shown to impact teacher morale and psychological health. Research by Ozamiz-Etxebarria et al. (2021) highlighted that female educator, in particular, experienced heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and depression due to the dual pressures of home and work responsibilities. The long hours required for online instruction, coupled with the need to remain professionally competent and responsive to administrative demands, further compromised their ability to maintain work-life balance. Globally, this phenomenon has led to what La Hart (2020) describes as a universal struggle among professionals to maintain personal well-being amid pandemic-driven changes. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction, job demands, and job stress, focusing specifically on secondary school educators within the public education sector in Negeri Sembilan.

Research Objectives

The objectives of this study will be:

1. To examine the level of work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

2. To examine the positive relationship between job satisfaction and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

3. To examine the negative relationship between job demand and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

4. To examine the negative relationship between job stress and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Work-Life Balance

Gragnano et al. (2020) proposed the meaning of the work-life balance (WLB).” Work-life balance is the individual insight that non-work and work are viable and promote growth as per the individual’s present life needs”. A new review demonstrated that a superior work-life balance cultivates not just job satisfaction, work execution, and commitment, but additionally life and family fulfilment La Hart, 2020). ‘Work’ refers to paid work, whereas ‘life’ refers to everything else, such as family, friends, interests, and self-care (Tapp, 2018). Generally, work-life balance is when an individual maintains an overall sense of balance in life. No matter how hard an individual tries, personal and professional lives do tend to cross with one another, as per a study done by La Hart (2020). Poor work-life balance can have a detrimental influence on an organisation’s product or service quality, as well as financial ramifications (Awadallah, 2020).  The balance of work-life additionally lessens pressure-related results like mental misery, anxiety, tension, and depression (Gragnano et al., 2020). The academic profession fuses a demand that is possibly challenging alongside a wide scope of obligations. People who belong to this profession experience substantially more issues than some other professions in keeping up with their work existence with individual life successfully (Saeed & Farooqi, 2014).

The imbalance of work-life experience by teachers in performing family and job brings about results like diminishing usefulness of productivity and expanding non-attendance among these teachers (Obeidat et al., 2014). Nordenmark et al. (2012) in their study using the European Social Survey (ESS) established that job demand had a significant negative relationship to well-being among employed men but not among employed women. While Aruldoss et al. (2021) found that work-life balance was negatively related to job stress, positively related to job satisfaction, and positively related to job commitment. Employers in recent years are becoming greater aware of the necessity to attend to work-life balance in their personnel. This is important for the sustainability and betterment of one’s organisation (Husin et al., 2018). A study by Hanapi and Nordin (2014) emphasised that one of the most stressful issues that they have to face is the congestion of the traffic, which caused them to be more demanding for flexible working hours. In addition, the workload issue is also one of the main aspects that can contribute to an imbalance of work-life among teachers in Malaysia.

Additionally, Miryala and Chiluka (2012) found that 73% of the teachers in one of the learning institutes in Malaysia reported that there is no work-life balance policy in their organisation, which resulted in a negative effect on their performance and well-being. A study conducted by Jaharuddin and Zainol (2019) reported that the time spent on the job has increased drastically over time to time which can affect the work-life of teachers in Malaysia can leading to severe physical and mental health issues. Bowman (2017) mentioned that US federal government’s model employer-based orientation is arguably an extension of comprehensive work-life balance policies and since the federal government has positioned itself as a model for other organizations, including those in the private sector, it is critical to understand whether its human resources policies are beneficial to personnel’s and, in the case of work-life balance policies, what factors influence their effectiveness. This expertise can assist both the federal government and organisations that follow its lead in implementing work-life balance rules in a way that encourages the most widespread adoption and benefits both the organisation and its employees (Bowman, 2017). Tapp (2018) has shown that work-life balance has many factors and impacts such as demography (e.g., gender, age, experience, spouse), organizational identity (which includes policies, programs, organizational culture and support) and pliancy (coping strategies, locus of control, leisure activities and the desire for work-life.

Job Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance

Job satisfaction is the way a person’s subjective viewpoint is whether he/she feel about the job and the organisation (Mohammed, 2016). According to research done by Schultz and Schultz (2010), the level of job satisfaction is maximised exposed the job scope like sculptors, authors, educational administrators, teachers, psychologists, food preparers, fabric handlers, packagers, firefighters and so forth. In addition, job satisfaction has not been studied most effectively as an antecedent of preferred behaviour, including challenging overall performance, but also as a cause of counterproductive conduct. Interestingly, job satisfaction is rather strongly related to (self-reported) behaviour that mainly focuses on opposition to the organisation Carson et al., 1991). Hasibuan (2010) stated that job satisfaction is a mindset that is reflected by discipline, work morale and work performance. Job values are the goals to be performed in carrying out work obligations. What you want to achieve is valuable work, which is considered essential by the individual. It was stated later that painting values should be appropriate or assist the achievement of primary needs Malik et al., 2020). Few studies found that satisfaction and desire can be fulfilled by the employees towards the organisations through employee relations, the environment of the workplace, the financial benefits, and the ambience of the workplace (Deshpande et al., 2012).

Research done by Arif et al. (2014) explained that work-life is related to work tasks. Employee satisfaction is determined by the benefits of the organisation. This is because work-life balance is highly correlated with benefits. Programs that give better benefits to employees can boost their level of satisfaction and can lead to a greater outcome for the organisation. As a result, this can also increase the productivity of the organisation. Job satisfaction is linked to work-life balance because the employer has already provided them with conducive amenities and a serene working environment. Job satisfaction is an important aspect of a successful organisation Ayar et al., 2021). It serves both the needs of the employer and employee in any sector despite any sectors. According to research by Irawanto et al. (2021), the job performance and morale of an employee will be influenced by job satisfaction. The satisfaction of the employees can be measured through their job performance, attitude, punctuality and absenteeism Dousin et al., 2019).

H1: There is a relationship between job satisfaction and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

Job Demands and Work-Life Balance

Job demands include matters such as time and work pressure, responsibility, role conflict, and computer problems, which were initially defined as those components of the job that need persistent effort and are related to cognitive and emotional implications (Savage, 2019). In other words, it is the psychological, physical, organisational, and social characteristics of a job that cause strain, be it psychological or physical, which in turn causes an individual to deteriorate Jamal et al., 2021). Michiels (2019) stated that there are two 2 types of job demands. They are hindrance demands and challenge demands. Hinderance and challenge can also be a motivation factor to the personnel, as a hindrance is the barrier and challenge is the motivator Michiels, 2019). Another study by Enst et al. (2019) has also cited that role conflict arises when personnel are expected to fulfil unrelated demands from various parties. Here, the incompatible procedures and inconsistent expectations of managers and clients could assist in role conflict. There is a study that shows the relationship between job demand and personal resources (Love, 2019). It is mentioned by Love (2019) that there is a positive relationship between job demand dan personal resources. Job demands also have a relationship with the development of health impairments, as mentioned by Donley (2019).

Enst et al. (2019) have noted that role conflict (job demand) has a positive relationship with emotional exhaustion, which might affect the desire for work-life balance. If personnel have more control of their job demands, personal resources (motivation) would also increase, Enst et al. (2019), which could contribute to coping strategies and would have a relationship with work-life balance Tapp, 2018). Research by Malik et al. (2020) job control and job demands are two significant work domains that can influence a teacher’s work-life balance. Factors such as excessive workload, working environment, irregular working hours and poor systems may be the reasons that can lead to deterioration in work-life balance among teachers and even health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic (Althobaiti et al., 2020). In a study by Aperribai et al. (2020), teachers in Chile encountered stress and depression due to high workloads, burnout and exhaustion during the pandemic. Time demands for class preparation and online classes have contributed to greater stress and led to mental health issues.

H2: There is a relationship between job demands and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

Job Stress and Work-Life Balance

According to Nabors (2019), employee stress consists of two components: organisational trust and manager transparency. The study done by Nabors (2019) was to clarify that a relationship existed between trust and stress, and between transparency and stress. The importance of employee stress, as laid out in the study by Love (2019), is pertinent to the productivity of the organisation. Subramaniam et al. (2017) also pointed out that employee stress affects employee engagement, motivation and productivity. Bell (2017) has shown that stress levels rise when personnel experience conflict between work and family and will decrease when personnel do not encounter any conflict. According to Kim et al. (2020), due to the current situation, job satisfaction among teachers may reduce as these teachers are facing work stress, role conflict, time pressure and overwork, which can affect their mental health as well. Stress has a significant relationship with job satisfaction as it is the key predictor that may cause a decrease in the level of satisfaction among employees (Hsu et al., 2019).

The study done by Nabors (2019) indicates that a relationship existed between trust and stress, as well as between transparency and stress. Which correlates with organisational identity and flexibility under work-life balance (Tapp, 2018). Due to this pandemic, the way organisations work and the relationship between the employers and workers have been deeply impacted by the transition (Irawanto et al., 2021). This is due to the new job norm that people worldwide have to obey for them to curb from spread of the virus. Other than that, the relation of stress level also has a positive relationship with personal experience conflict (Bell, 2017), and might also have a relationship with work-life balance (Swarnalatha, 2017). Moreover, Nelson et al. (2021) have identified stress and confusion among teachers due to the distance education and abruptness of such closures and poor knowledge received by the students.  As expected, groups of teachers with children, those with chronic diseases showed higher stress levels than teachers who do not (Silva et al., 2021). Indeed, some studies have shown that at the beginning of COVID-19, teachers were having symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance, resulting in the deterioration of their mental and physical health (Besser et al., 2020).

H3: There is a relationship between job stress and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

METHODOLOGY

This study is a quantitative and cross-sectional study. The study is a descriptive study to collect data pertinent to the Research Questions. The extent of researcher interference is kept to a minimum from the researcher. The study setting is not a contrived setting where everything is done as per usual at secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan. The research strategy used is survey research with cross-sectional studies as the time horizon. The questionnaire distributed to the respondents contains 3 parts, namely Section A, Section B and Section C, where Section A contains questions about the demographics of the respondents, Section B covers the independent variables, and Section C covers the dependent variables. The survey method is one of the popular methods used to obtain information about respondents (Grady & McCarthy, 2008).

Non-probability sampling is the type of sampling technique that researchers use to select samples in non-random ways. This technique is usually used by researchers due to cost and time considerations. The sampling design that would be used in this study is non-probability sampling (Bougie & Sekaran, 2019). The sampling procedure used is to select the subject from the population. This study uses convenience sampling as the researcher is facing time constraints due to distancing. In addition, the researcher chose this technique because this sampling is more cost-effective and faster as compared to probability sampling. Ultimately, the goal of sampling is to have a sample that represents the population. The population of educators or teachers in the state of Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia is around 8,024. Therefore, the minimum sample size should be 368 according to Krejcie and Morgan (1970). However, due to limited time and cost, this study successfully collected 184 responses.  Those are conveniently available at the time of data collection. Hence, the unit of analysis for this study is the individual teacher, regardless of grade or hierarchy in service.

Questionnaires were distributed among secondary school teachers via electronic or online mediums (Google Forms). The electronic questionnaire is selected as it is easy and has wider accessibility. (Bougie & Sekaran, 2019). A link was provided to the respective respondents through social media messaging platform like group chat of WhatsApp or Telegram of secondary school (either official or non-official group) to complete the survey, and the answers were then collected and saved in electronic form to ease the administration, to be globally reached, and respondents have the flexibility to answer at their convenience during the data collection period. The measurements for each variable in this study were adopted from prominent researchers as per following Table 1.

Table 1. Adapted Questionnaire from Previous Researchers

FINDINGS

This study focuses on secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19. 184 teachers were involved in this study. The teachers’ demographic data, specifically their gender, race, marital status, age, highest level of education, and working experience as a teacher, are presented in the form of a table using frequency and percentage. The respondents’ demographic distribution is shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Distribution of Respondents’ Background

Table 3. Descriptive, Reliability, and Normality Analyses

Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out with 3 factors as important predictive variables: job satisfaction, job demands and job stress. The results showed that the prediction model for work-life balance was significant [F(3, 180) = 33.773, p < 0.05], and the R-square of this model was 0.360, which is this model explained 36.0% of the variance of work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19. The outcomes show a significant negative relationship between job stress and work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19, ß = -0.570, t (180) = -8.319, p < 0.01. Meanwhile, job satisfaction, ß = 0.018, t (180) = 0.255, p > 0.05; and job demands, ß = -0.050, t (180) = -0.712, p > 0.05 did not show any significant relationship with work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19.

Table 4. Coefficient Analysis for Work-life Balance

DISCUSSION

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the three independent variables and the dependent variable. Based on the result of the analysis shows that job stress has a significant and negative relationship with work-life balance. According to Moidunny (2009), the level of work-life balance among secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan during COVID-19 is low, which is (mean = 2.45 and, deviation = 0.779. Therefore, the result of the hypothesis testing is based on Table 5.1.2. The table shows the result that H3 has a negative relationship, while H1 and H2 have no significance. In this hypothesis, H3 shows that teachers get stressed during COVID-19. According to Nelson et al. (2021), has been identified stress and confusion have been identified among teachers due to the distance education and abruptness of such closures and poor knowledge received from the students. Research done by Ozamiz-Etxebarria et al. (2021) stated that female teachers face more stress and frustration because their hands are full of commitment and their work, which they must cope with within a limited time frame.

Table 5. Hypotheses Testing

COVID-19, a global pandemic that began at the end of 2019, had devastating effects on the human population. Multiple aspects of daily life in Malaysia were disrupted by the COVID-19 epidemic that began in February 2020. All facets of society (political, economic, and social) are impacted. The educational sector is similarly impacted in this case. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, educational institutions have frequently undergone an open-close cycle whereby the students’ knowledge process is surviving under difficult conditions, which is the home-based teaching and learning method. This is because this method is difficult to implement, especially given the challenges that teachers, parents, and students must face. Teachers are under tremendous stress. Multiple variables contribute to teachers’ stress. First, students had to execute two tasks simultaneously. These two jobs consist of daily activities at home, such as cleaning and babysitting, and teaching pupils online (Asadullah, 2022). Online learning presents several obstacles, including the inability to regulate student conduct and attendance, as well as several technical issues, such as an inadequate Internet connection. In the end, teachers had to work the entire day due to the incessant questions from parents and pupils in the WhatsApp group. These factors enhance the teacher’s workload and stress level.

Reducing teachers’ stress in the face of such work pressures is an appropriate solution for addressing these problems. First, teachers must effectively manage time through timetable management and establish a clear separation between break time and work time. At the end of the workday, all communication devices, including smartphones, must be turned off. This can, to some extent, reduce the workload of teachers. Teachers are also required to attend therapy or morale-building sessions to maintain their mental health. This activity is essential to ensure that teachers have a location to effectively release their frustrations and let go of various challenges. This enables the burden to be lessened sustainably. Furthermore, teachers require their area for daily activities such as recreation, movie watching, and family time. In this environment, a healthy work-life balance is crucial. No one was prepared to handle the COVID-19 pandemic when it struck. This includes the MOE, which lacks clear procedures for responding to a catastrophic health catastrophe like COVID-19 (Abdul Rashid et al., 2021). Several problems are evident based on the previous situation:

1. Some teachers are having difficulty implementing new online approach methods in their classrooms. Teachers are underprepared for new millennium education approaches (Industrial Revolution 4.0).
2. The MOE lacks an efficient and practical application for implementing online education.
3. The Internet coverage is still poor.

Before addressing the challenges, the MOE must have a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual for dealing with unanticipated calamities. These SOPS must clearly outline the plans and methods for ensuring that the education system continues to function in the event of an emergency. This can serve as a guideline for the MOE in the event of future catastrophes. Second, teachers must receive more advanced teaching training, particularly in kabouter technology. Continuous training with more challenging and advanced training programmes is required to ensure that teachers are more skilled and highly competent (Asadullah, 2022). The practical aspect must also be implemented regularly. MOE should hold online learning simulations so that teachers and students are familiar with this situation. With theoretical and practical preparation, this situation can provide teachers and students with a major skill set for handling emergencies like COVID-19. Finally, the government must collaborate with the private sector to create sophisticated teaching applications to ensure that the teaching process runs smoothly. The application created must have a comprehensive function, such as the ability to be used for student exercises, activities, teaching, and note-taking. Collaboration with the private sector ensures that developed applications are of high quality, effective, and efficient.

In this issue, it is expected that future researchers will analyse more deeply regarding this matter to improve and reinforce new ideas. Hence, the following researchers can proceed with more schools to get better opinions and views to get concrete and holistic results. Furthermore, the current researcher is only able to analyse the state of Negeri Sembilan due to time constrain and distance. So, the next researchers can prolong their research to the national level. Next, the researchers can conduct their research using different variables besides “job satisfaction” and “job demand”. It is because, based on the results from the multiple regression analysis of the current researcher, it is shown that there is no significant relationship between work-life balance and the variables stated. Moreover, new researchers can also focus more on variables such as work environment and job resources. The researcher had to face some obstacles during the Movement Control Order (MCO) since the COVID-19 pandemic had arisen. The period to get data became difficult due to the teachers working from home (WFH) and following the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Education (MOE). In addition, some articles and journals that are available on the Internet need to be purchased for the researcher to view them. Due to this matter, the researcher was not able to view some of the literature.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, this research proves that “job stress” has a significant impact on the work-life balance of secondary school teachers during the pandemic. The significance of the study is to provide a better insight into factors that affect secondary school teachers in Negeri Sembilan’s work-life balance at their workplace. The organisation could use the study to understand the factors and as evidence to produce some guidelines or initiate improvement activities or make the best possible choices for the secondary school teachers. Besides, this study could also help the upper-level management team to understand and develop ideas for improving the level of work-life balance at a department or unit in the school. Indirectly, the contribution of work-life balance will have a positive impact and outcomes for the secondary-level teachers at Negeri Sembilan. As for other similar organisations, the study could be used as a base for the development or improvement of work-life balance practices at the organisation, especially during this pandemic.

Many organisations that are like the study lack insights which govern the working environment, job demands and employee stress, not only for the teachers but for most employees generally. Furthermore, the form of work-life balance sought by many would not imply equal weight on both sides. The study may also provide evidence that the working environment has yet to be improved, along with the job demands and possibly a new turn for employee stress. Thus, the study is significant in providing evidence for developing policies to restore work-life balance for secondary school teachers. This will not only give balance but will also create happy personnel who will contribute more to the organisation. Furthermore, the findings of this study are also beneficial for future studies of other factors about work-life balance, as the organisation or employers are attempting to figure out what else they can do to give their personnel a better work-life balance, personnel are also thinking of leaving the organisation for the same reason.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This research was funded by the Faculty of Business and Management, University Technology MARA, file no 600-TNCPI 5/3/DDF (FPP) (012/2021).

REFERENCES

1. Abdul Rashid, K. K., Che Haron, S., & Che Haron, S. (2021). Challenges on Malaysian Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Online Teaching During COVID-19. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(9), 649–658. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i9/10806
2. Allen, T. D., & Martin, A. (2017). The work-family interface: A retrospective look at 20 years of research in JOHP. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 259–272. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000065
3. Althobaiti, S., Alharthi, S., & ALZahrani, A. M. (2020). Medical Systems ’ Quality Evaluated By Perceptions Of Nursing Care: Facing Covid-19 Pandemic. International Journal for Quality Research, 14(3).
4. Aperribai, L., Cortabarria, L., Aguirre, T., Verche, E., & Borges, Á. (2020). Teachers’ Physical Activity and Mental Health During Lockdown Due to the COVID-2019 Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(November), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577886
5. Arif, Bushra and Farooqi, Y. A. (2014). Impact of Work Life Balance on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment Among University Teachers: A Case Study of University of Gujrat, Pakistan. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Engineering, vol. 5. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Engineering, 5(9), 24–29. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Impact-of-Work-Life-Balance-on-Job-Satisfaction-and-Arif-Farooqi/e2a677959fedf4fb56d37446c7c060b4bd520c06%0Ahttp://www.ijmse.org/Volume5/Issue9/paper5.pdf
6. Aruldoss, A., Kowalski, K. B., & Parayitam, S. (2021). The relationship between quality of work life and work life balancemediating role of job stress, job satisfaction and job commitment: evidence from India. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 18(1), 36–62. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-05-2020-0082
7. Asadullah, M. N. (2022). Home Schooling during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Assessment of Malaysia’s PdPR Program (Issue ADBI Working Paper 1318). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-67278-3_116
8. Awadallah, N. S. (2020). Measurable versus Non-measurable Factors: A Preferred Approach in Understanding Work Life Balance Practices to Contribute to Work Life Balance in Small and Medium Enterprises. Northcentral University.
9. Ayar, D., Karaman, M. A., & Karaman, R. (2021). Work-Life Balance and Mental Health Needs of Health Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 0123456789. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00717-6
10. Bataineh, K. A. (2019). Impact of Work-Life Balance, Happiness at Work, on Employee Performance. International Business Research, 12(2), 99. https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v12n2p99
11. Bell, R. G. (2017). Strategies to reduce stress in the insurance industry [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5141&context=dissertations&httpsredir=1&referer=
12. Besser, A., Lotem, S., & Zeigler-Hill, V. (2020). Psychological Stress and Vocal Symptoms Among University Professors in Israel: Implications of the Shift to Online Synchronous Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Voice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.05.028
13. Bougie, R., & Sekaran, U. (2019). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach. John Wiley & Sons.
14. Bowman, L. N. (2017). Work-Life Balance Policies in the Federal Government: What Factors are Related to Use? University of Illinois at Chicago.
15. Carson, J., Luyombya, G., Wilder, J., Burrow, S., & Boyle, M. (1991). Job satisfaction? The Health Service Journal, 101(5263), 21. https://doi.org/10.47760/ijcsmc.2020.v09i09.003
16. Deshpande, B., Arekar, K., Sharma, R., & Somaiya, S. (2012). Effect of Employee Satisfaction on Organization Performance : An. September, 617–624.
17. Donley, J. S. (2019). Work Environment and Job Satisfaction: A Correlational Study of Childcare Workers in Behavioral Healthcare. In ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Grand Canyon University.
18. Dousin, O., Collins, N., & Kler, B. K. (2019). Work-Life Balance, Employee Job Performance and Satisfaction Among Doctors and Nurses in Malaysia. International Journal of Human Resource Studies, 9(4), 306. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijhrs.v9i4.15697
19. Dubey, A. D., & Tripathi, S. (2020). Analysing the sentiments towards work-from-home experience during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Innovation Management, 8(1), 13–19.
20. Enst, M., Ana, L., & Organ, V. E. (2019). OF BURNOUT Yüksek Lisans Tezi.
21. Grady, G., & McCarthy, A. M. (2008). Work-life integration: Experiences of mid-career professional working mothers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(5), 599–622. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940810884559
22. Gragnano, A., Simbula, S., & Miglioretti, M. (2020). Work–life balance: weighing the importance of work–family and work–health balance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 9–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030907
23. Hanapi, Z., & Nordin, M. S. (2014). Unemployment among Malaysian Graduates: Graduates’ Attributes, Lecturers’ Competency and Quality of Education. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 112(Iceepsy 2013), 1056–1063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.1269
24. Hasibuan, M. S. P. (2010). Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia, Edisi Revisi Kedua. Yogyakarta: Penerbit BPFE-UGM.
25. Helmle, J. R., Botero, I. C., & Seibold, D. R. (2014). Factors that influence perceptions of work-life balance in owners of copreneurial firms. Journal of Family Business Management.
26. Homyamyen, P., Kulachai, W., & Phuangthuean, P. (2017). Impacts of non-financial factors on job satisfaction of public schools’ teachers. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 10(2), 467–474.
27. Hsu, Y. Y., Bai, C. H., Yang, C. M., Huang, Y. C., Lin, T. T., & Lin, C. H. (2019). Long Hours’ Effects on Work-Life Balance and Satisfaction. BioMed Research International, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5046934
28. Husin, N. A., Mohd Ghazali, A. S., Abdullah, N., & Abdul Hadi, M. I. Bin. (2018). Work-Life Balance of Malaysian Lecturers. Australian Academy of Business and Economics Review, 4(1), 43–49.
29. Irawanto, D. W., Novianti, K. R., & Roz, K. (2021). Work from home: Measuring satisfaction between work–life balance and work stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Economies, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9030096
30. Jaharuddin, N. S., & Zainol, L. N. (2019). The Impact of Work-Life Balance on Job Engagement and Turnover Intention. The South East Asian Journal of Management, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.21002/seam.v13i1.10912
31. Jamal, M. T., Anwar, I., Khan, N. A., & Saleem, I. (2021). Work during COVID-19: assessing the influence of job demands and resources on practical and psychological outcomes for employees. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration.
32. Jayasingam, S., Lee, S. T., & Mohd Zain, K. N. (2021). Demystifying the life domain in work-life balance: A Malaysian perspective. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01403-5
33. Johari, J., Yean Tan, F., & Tjik Zulkarnain, Z. I. (2018). Autonomy, workload, work-life balance and job performance among teachers. International Journal of Educational Management, 32(1), 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-10-2016-0226
34. Kaushik, M. (2020). The Impact of Pandemic COVID -19 in Workplace. European Journal of Business and Management, 12(15), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.7176/ejbm/12-15-02
35. Kim, J., Henly, J. R., Golden, L. M., & Lambert, S. J. (2020). Workplace Flexibility and Worker Well-Being by Gender. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(3), 892–910. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12633
36. Krejcie, R. V, & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurements, 30, 607-610. Texas A. & M. University and University of Minnesota, Duluth.
37. La Hart, K. B. (2020). Understanding How Employees Can Achieve Work-Life Balance. In ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Northcentral University.
38. Lopez, C. (2019). Work/Life Balance In The Modern Era (Infographic).
39. Love, A. K. (2019). Walden University.
40. Malik, M., Shamshir, M., & Khan, K. (2020). Association of work-life balance and job satisfaction in commercial pilots: a case study of Pakistan. Independent Journal of Management & Production, 11(3), 998. https://doi.org/10.14807/ijmp.v11i3.1061
41. Mental Health America. (2018). Work life balance Report of the MHA work life balance study.
42. Michiels, K. S. (2019). The Influence of Appraisals and Authentic Leadership on the Relationship between Job Demands and Burnout among K-8 Public Education Teachers. Louisiana State University in Shreveport.
43. Miryala, R. K., & Chiluka, N. (2012). Work-Life Balance Amongst Teachers. IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior.
44. Mohammed, I. (2016). View of Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance: An Empirical Approach. The Millennium University Journal, January 2016. http://www.themillenniumuniversity.edu.bd/journal/index.php/TMUJ/article/view/10/10
45. Moidunny, K. (2009). The effectiveness of the national professional qualification for educational leaders (NPQEL). Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Bangi: The National University of Malaysia.
46. Nabors, B. R. (2019). A Correlational Study of Organizational Trust, Manager Transparency, and Employee Stress. University of Phoenix.
47. Nelson, K. V., Thompson, I., & Riley, T. (2021). Challenging the Idea of Work: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the Future of Work, Health and Well-Being of the Jamaican Workforce. In COVID in the Islands: A comparative perspective on the Caribbean and the Pacific (pp. 337–352). Springer.
48. Nordenmark, M., Vinberg, S., & Strandh, M. (2012). Job control and demands, work-life balance and wellbeing among self-employed men and women in Europe. Vulnerable Groups & Inclusion, 3(1), 18896. https://doi.org/10.3402/vgi.v3i0.18896
49. Nurumal, M., Makabe, S., Che Jamaludin, F. I., Fahmi Mohd Yusof, H., Aung, K. T., & Kowitlawakul, Y. (2017). Work-Life Balance among Teaching Hospital Nurses in Malaysia. Global Journal of Health Science, 9(9), 81. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v9n9p81
50. Obeidat, B. Y., Masa’deh, R. (Moh’d T., & Abdallah, A. B. (2014). The Relationships among Human Resource Management Practices, Organizational Commitment, and Knowledge Management Processes: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v9n3p9
51. Ozamiz-Etxebarria, N., Mondragon, N. I., Bueno-Notivol, J., Pérez-Moreno, M., & Santabárbara, J. (2021). Prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid systematic review with meta-analysis. Brain Sciences, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11091172
52. Prince, J. J. (2020). Relationship of Principal Positivity with Teacher Job Satisfaction and Staff Morale. May, 132.
53. Putranti, H. R. D., Suparmi, S., & Susilo, A. (2020). Work Life Balance (WLB) Complexity and Performance of Employees during COVID-19 Pandemic. Arthatama, 4(1), 56–68.
54. Rawal, D. M. (2021). Work life balance among female school teachers [k-12] delivering online curriculum in Noida [India] during COVID: Empirical study. Management in Education, 0892020621994303.
55. Rosli, A. M., & Abu Bakar, A. Y. (2021). The Mental Health State and Psychological Well-Being of School Teachers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia. 5(3), 182–195. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.23887/bisma.v5i3.42015
56. Saeed, K., & Farooqi, Y. A. (2014). Examining the Relationship between Work Life Balance, Job Stress and Job Satisfaction Among University Teachers. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Engineering, 5(6), 9–15.
57. Savage, N. (2019). The Job Demands-Resources Model: Understanding the Impact of Job Characteristics on Healthcare Leaders. Clemson University.
58. Schultz, D., & Schultz, S. E. (2010). Psychology and Work Today. International Edition (13th Edition). Pearson Education Inc.
59. Shea, T., & De Cieri, H. (2011). Workplace stress evaluation tools: A Snapshot Review. ISCRR & Monash University.
60. Silva, D. F. O., Cobucci, R. N., Lima, S. C. V. C., & de Andrade, F. B. (2021). Prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a PRISMA-compliant systematic review. Medicine (United States), 100(44). https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000027684
61. Stone, C., & Springer, M. (2019). Interactivity, connectedness, teacher presence: Engaging and retaining students online. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 59(2), 146–169.
62. Subramaniam, K., Committee, R., Chairperson, C., Member, C., Officer, C. A., & Riedel, E. (2017). Walden University.
63. Suganya, S., & Sankareshwari, B. (2020). Job Satisfaction Level on Online Teaching among Higher Secondary School Teachers during COVID-19 Pandemic. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(1), 138–145. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v9i1.3530
64. Swarnalatha, C. (2017). A Handbook on Work-Life Balance. Lulu.com.
65. Tapp, K. (2018). Giving Your Best to Work and Life: Factors That Impact Principal Work-Life Balance. Doane University.
66. Wan Mohd Yunus, W. M. A., Badri, S. K. Z., Panatik, S. A., & Mukhtar, F. (2020). The Unprecedented Movement Control Order (Lockdown) and Factors Associated With the Negative Emotional Symptoms, Happiness, and Work-Life Balance of Malaysian University Students During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 566221. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.566221
67. Yahya, M., Hussin, M., & Razak, A. (2012). Education Expenditure and Economic Growth : A Causal Analysis for Malaysia. Journal of Economic and Sustainable Development, 3(7), 71–82.
68. Yayla, A., & Eskiciİlgin, V. (2021). The relationship of nurses’ psychological well-being with their coronaphobia and work–life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(21–22), 3153–3162. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15783
69. Yun, W. S., & Yusoff, R. (2017). Determinants of Public Education Expenditure in Malaysia : A Time Series Analysis. 8th International Conference of the Asian Academy of Applied Business 2017, December.