DIGITAL TOOLS AND EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING IN THE MODERN WORKFORCE: A THEMATIC REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JISTM.1144028Keywords:
Digital Tools, Employee Well-Being, Digital Workplace, TechnostressAbstract
The increasing use of digital technologies has changed how work is organized, communicated, and experienced. Although digital tools can support employee well-being, their use may also create new sources of psychological strain. This review examines how digital tools shape employee well-being by synthesizing the literature around three interrelated themes: digital tools as resources for well-being, digital tools as sources of psychological strain, and the management of well-being in an AI-enabled workplace. The review draws on literature retrieved through Scopus and examined using Scopus AI as an analytical support tool as of 25 September 2025. The review process combined database searching, Scopus AI-generated summaries and concept mapping, and thematic interpretation of relevant studies. The synthesis indicates that digital tools can strengthen communication, collaboration, flexibility, engagement, and access to work resources. At the same time, excessive connectivity, technology-related demands, blurred work–life boundaries, and insufficient digital support can contribute to technostress and reduced well-being. The literature further indicates that artificial intelligence introduces a more complex set of opportunities and concerns because automation, monitoring, and decision-support systems can alter employee autonomy, workload, privacy, and perceptions of control. Overall, employee well-being appears to depend less on the presence of technology itself than on how digital tools are designed, introduced, and supported within organizations. The review highlights the importance of human-centred implementation, appropriate organizational support, digital capability development, and clear boundaries around technology use.
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