Work, Leisure, and Life Satisfaction for Employees with Physical Disabilities in South Korea

Empirical studies on work-life balance (WLB) among employees without disabilities are abundant; in contrast, insufficient research exists on WLB and quality of life issues among employees with physical disabilities from Asian countries. This study used a nation-wide survey to examine how job satisfaction, leisure satisfaction, and satisfaction with family relationships, and satisfaction with friend relationships were positively associated with life satisfaction among employees with physical disabilities in South Korea. The results of the study demonstrated that job satisfaction, leisure satisfaction, and family and friend relationships contributed significantly to the life satisfaction of employees with physical disabilities. Job satisfaction and leisure satisfaction were positively correlated (Pearson’s r = .606). Participants who were satisfied with job and leisure were 16.86 times [95% confidence interval (CI): 10.04–28.31)] more likely to be satisfied with their lives compared to those who were not satisfied with either their jobs or leisure activities. Participants satisfied with either their jobs or leisure activities were 4.49 times (OR 4.49, 95% CI: 2.64–7.65) more likely to be satisfied with their lives compared to those not satisfied with either their jobs or leisure activities. These findings suggest that managing a healthy balance between work and leisure may are critical to enhancing life satisfaction among the population with disabilities. Future research should include cross-cultural studies with sub-dimensions of the measurement scales to improve life satisfaction in this population.