Balancing workload and workplace conditions: unlocking employee performance in Indonesia’s service sector

Purpose: to examine how workload and work environment affect employee performance in service-sector companies in Indonesia. Method: this study employed a quantitative survey approach involving 117 employees from service-sector companies in West Java, Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a seven-point Likert scale and analyzed using regression analysis, including validity, reliability, collinearity, and hypothesis testing. Findings: workload and work environment have positive and significant effects on employee performance. Workload emerges as a stronger predictor than work environment, while both variables collectively explain a substantial proportion of variations in employee performance. These results highlight the importance of balanced workload distribution and a conducive work environment in improving employee performance in Indonesia's service sector. Implications: organizations should optimize workload distribution according to employee competencies and improve physical and non-physical workplace conditions to strengthen employee performance, productivity, and organizational effectiveness. Originality: lies in providing empirical evidence on the relationships between workload, work environment, and employee performance by integrating job demands–resources theory in the context of service-sector companies in West Java, Indonesia, and highlighting the complementary roles of job demands and workplace resources in supporting employee performance.