The Impact of Work-from-Home on Work-Life Balance: A Bibliometric Analysis (2012-2025)

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research examining the relationship between work-life balance (WLB) and work-from-home (WFH) arrangements published between 2012 and 2025. Using Web of Science as the primary database, the analysis is conducted on 89 articles identified through the search terms "Work Life Balance" OR "WLB" AND "Work from Home" OR "WFH". The publication trend reveals a significant surge in scholarly interest following the COVID-19 pandemic, with peak productivity observed in 2022 (28 publications), followed by continued substantial output in subsequent years. Sustainability emerged as the leading publication venue (6.74% of articles), with PLOS ONE ranking second (5.62%). The institutional analysis identified the Swinburne University of Technology as the most productive institution (4.49% of publications). Geographically, research contributions were dominated by the United States (28.09%), followed by India (14.61%) and Australia (11.24%), with notable citation impact from studies originating in the Netherlands (456 citations). VOSviewer is applied to analyse and visualise research collaboration networks and keyword co-occurrence patterns using Web of Science data. The citation analysis demonstrates remarkable growth in scholarly influence, from minimal citations in 2012 to 1,622 total citations by 2025, with an average of 18.22 citations per article and an h-index of 19. Keyword co-occurrence analysis confirms the central focus on COVID- 19 (43 occurrences), work-life balance (31), work from home (24), and telework (22), with emerging emphasis on stress, family conflict, satisfaction, mental health, and burnout. This bibliometric assessment highlights the rapid evolution and increasing scholarly importance of research examining the relationship between remote work arrangements and work-life balance in the contemporary workplace environment.