Hybrid Work in Transition: Exploring Employee Experience, Work-Life Balance and Organizational Change

The global shift to hybrid work has transformed how organizations operate and how employees experience their work, redefining the balance between professional and personal life. Triggered by the pandemic and supported by rapid technological advancements, hybrid work has become a dominant model across industries and services. This transition generated new opportunities as flexibility, autonomy and productivity while also some challenges related to maintaining boundaries and fostering social connection. Motivated by these developments and informed by professional experience, this research aims to explore how hybrid work influences employee job satisfaction, work-life balance and overall well-being. Prior studies suggest that hybrid work enhances flexibility, autonomy, and job satisfaction by enabling employees to exert greater control over their work schedules. This model has been associated with reduced commuting time and increased personal autonomy, allowing individuals to balance professional and personal responsibilities more effectively. Consequently, many employees report improvements in their overall well-being and work-life balance. However, the literature identifies challenges inherent to hybrid work. The overlap between personal and professional domains can blur boundaries, making it difficult to disconnect from work and potentially leading o stress and burnout. Grounded in theses insights, the present study seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) “How has hybrid work impacted employee work-life balance?”, (2) “How has hybrid work influenced employee job satisfaction?”, (3) “How has hybrid work affected employee well-being?”. To address and explore these questions, a qualitative research design was adopted, through the use of semi-structures interviews with employees from a multinational financial institution operating in Portugal under a hybrid work. All participants were female, aged between 28 and 44 years, represented different roles and seniority levels. The interviews were conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams, recorded and transcribed while ensuring participant confidentiality. The qualitative data were analysed using MAXQDA software to code the transcripts and identify the recurring patterns within the main thematic categories. This approach enables participants to express their perceptions and experiences in depth, thereby uncovering the human dimension of hybrid work. The findings of the present research indicate that hybrid work is widely perceived as a positive and sustainable model for the future of work. Participants emphasized the flexibility to manage their schedules, reduce commuting, and spend more quality time with family, factors that enhanced job satisfaction and overall well-being. Autonomy and time efficiency emerged as key motivational drivers, fostering higher engagement and performance. However, some participants reported difficulties in maintaining boundaries between personal and professional responsibilities, as well as occasional feelings of isolation when they working remotely for extended periods. Interestingly, all interviewees stated that their work is equally recognized either at home or on-premises. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the future of work by providing qualitative evidence on how hybrid work shapes the employee experience. The findings confirm that hybrid work enhances job satisfaction, work-life balance, and well-being. Furthermore, this research proposes practical recommendations for organizations, including promotion of mental health initiatives, the reinforcement of boundary management strategies, and adoption of fair evaluation systems based on outcomes rather than physical presence. Despite these valuable contributions, the study´s limited sample size and demographic homogeneity restrict the generalizability of its findings. Another limitation lies in the evolving nature of hybrid work as technological advancements and organizational practices continue to evolve, this research represents only a snapshot in time. Future studies should expand the sample across diverse industries and integrate both qualitative and quantitative methods to enhance statistical validity. Finally, longitudinal research to track how hybrid work evolves over the time as organizations, technologies and employee expectations are continue to change.