GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDIA AND SWEDEN

This paper examines how government policies in India and Sweden shape work-life balance (WLB)outcomes. Work-life balance describes the ability of individuals to meet professional responsibilities without compromising personal life, health, and well-being. Governments play a critical role in facilitating or impeding balance through legislation, policy frameworks, employment regulations, and social support systems. Using secondary data from government sources, global indexes, and scholarly publications, This comparative study analyses the nature, scope, and effectiveness of government interventions in India and Sweden. India represents a developing economy with emerging WLB initiatives facing implementation challenges, while Sweden offers a mature welfare model with comprehensive family friendly policies. Through a review of existing government policies, labour laws, social welfare frameworks, and secondary data, this paper highlights differences and similarities in approaches, evaluates impacts on employment outcomes and wellbeing, and provides policy implications for both contexts. The study concludes that Swedens institutionalised WLB regime significantly outperforms Indias in terms of reach and effectiveness, but evolving Indian reforms present opportunities for better work-life integration.