This study argues that work and life are inseparable under late capitalism. By examining the quantity, intensity, and quality of labour, it critiques the concept of “work–life balance” and reimagines work as a site of dignity, capability, and human flourishing. Drawing on Marx’s theory of alienation, Weber’s analysis of rationalisation, and institutionalist perspectives from Veblen and Polanyi, the article situates contemporary labour regimes within a broader historical and structural framework. It contends that digitalisation, platform capitalism, and the intensification of labour have blurred temporal and affective boundaries between production and everyday life. While recent policy reforms - such as working-time reduction and the right to disconnect - offer partial remedies, they fail to address the deeper commodification of labour. The paper therefore advances a capabilities-based normative framework, arguing that genuine human flourishing requires not merely balancing work and life, but transforming labour into a sphere of agency, recognition, and collective justice.
Mu-Jeong Kho (Mon,) studied this question.