diff --git a/include/modules/hyprland/workspaces.hpp b/include/modules/hyprland/workspaces.hpp
index 3b8de4ae..9cd17f88 100644
--- a/include/modules/hyprland/workspaces.hpp
+++ b/include/modules/hyprland/workspaces.hpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "AModule.hpp"
 #include "bar.hpp"
 #include "modules/hyprland/backend.hpp"
+#include "util/enum.hpp"
 
 namespace waybar::modules::hyprland {
 
@@ -86,7 +87,8 @@ class Workspaces : public AModule, public EventHandler {
   bool all_outputs_ = false;
   bool show_special_ = false;
   bool active_only_ = false;
-  std::string sort_by = "default";
+  util::EnumParser enum_parser_;
+  util::EnumParser::SORT_METHOD sort_by_ = util::EnumParser::SORT_METHOD::DEFAULT;
 
   void fill_persistent_workspaces();
   void create_persistent_workspaces();
diff --git a/include/util/enum.hpp b/include/util/enum.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1cb6f6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/util/enum.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+
+namespace waybar::util {
+
+struct EnumParser {
+  EnumParser() {}
+
+  enum SORT_METHOD { ID, NAME, NUMBER, DEFAULT };
+
+  SORT_METHOD sortStringToEnum(const std::string& str) {
+    static const std::map<std::string, SORT_METHOD> enumMap = {
+        {"ID", ID}, {"NAME", NAME}, {"NUMBER", NUMBER}, {"DEFAULT", DEFAULT}};
+
+    auto it = enumMap.find(str);
+    if (it != enumMap.end()) {
+      return it->second;
+    } else {
+      throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid string representation for enum");
+    }
+  }
+
+  ~EnumParser() = default;
+};
+}  // namespace waybar::util
diff --git a/src/modules/hyprland/workspaces.cpp b/src/modules/hyprland/workspaces.cpp
index 517de1be..9eda2c39 100644
--- a/src/modules/hyprland/workspaces.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/hyprland/workspaces.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,14 @@ auto Workspaces::parse_config(const Json::Value &config) -> void {
 
   auto config_sort_by = config_["sort-by"];
   if (config_sort_by.isString()) {
-    sort_by = config_sort_by.asString();
+    auto sort_by_str = config_sort_by.asString();
+    try {
+      sort_by_ = enum_parser_.sortStringToEnum(sort_by_str);
+    } catch (const std::invalid_argument &e) {
+      // Handle the case where the string is not a valid enum representation.
+      sort_by_ = util::EnumParser::SORT_METHOD::DEFAULT;
+      g_warning("Invalid string representation for sort-by. Falling back to default sort method.");
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -427,47 +434,56 @@ void Workspaces::sort_workspaces() {
               auto is_name_less = a->name() < b->name();
               auto is_number_less = std::stoi(a->name()) < std::stoi(b->name());
 
-              if (sort_by == "number") {
-                try {
-                  return is_number_less;
-                } catch (const std::invalid_argument &) {
-                }
-              } else if (sort_by == "name") {
-                return is_name_less;
-              } else if (sort_by == "id") {
-                return is_id_less;
-              } else {
-                // normal -> named persistent -> named -> special -> named special
-
-                // both normal (includes numbered persistent) => sort by ID
-                if (a->id() > 0 && b->id() > 0) {
+              switch (sort_by_) {
+                case util::EnumParser::SORT_METHOD::ID:
                   return is_id_less;
-                }
-
-                // one normal, one special => normal first
-                if ((a->is_special()) ^ (b->is_special())) {
-                  return b->is_special();
-                }
-
-                // only one normal, one named
-                if ((a->id() > 0) ^ (b->id() > 0)) {
-                  return a->id() > 0;
-                }
-
-                // both special
-                if (a->is_special() && b->is_special()) {
-                  // if one is -99 => put it last
-                  if (a->id() == -99 || b->id() == -99) {
-                    return b->id() == -99;
-                  }
-                  // both are 0 (not yet named persistents) / both are named specials (-98 <= ID
-                  // <=-1)
+                case util::EnumParser::SORT_METHOD::NAME:
                   return is_name_less;
-                }
+                case util::EnumParser::SORT_METHOD::NUMBER:
+                  try {
+                    return is_number_less;
+                  } catch (const std::invalid_argument &) {
+                    // Handle the exception if necessary.
+                    break;
+                  }
+                case util::EnumParser::SORT_METHOD::DEFAULT:
+                default:
+                  // Handle the default case here.
+                  // normal -> named persistent -> named -> special -> named special
 
-                // sort non-special named workspaces by name (ID <= -1377)
-                return is_name_less;
+                  // both normal (includes numbered persistent) => sort by ID
+                  if (a->id() > 0 && b->id() > 0) {
+                    return is_id_less;
+                  }
+
+                  // one normal, one special => normal first
+                  if ((a->is_special()) ^ (b->is_special())) {
+                    return b->is_special();
+                  }
+
+                  // only one normal, one named
+                  if ((a->id() > 0) ^ (b->id() > 0)) {
+                    return a->id() > 0;
+                  }
+
+                  // both special
+                  if (a->is_special() && b->is_special()) {
+                    // if one is -99 => put it last
+                    if (a->id() == -99 || b->id() == -99) {
+                      return b->id() == -99;
+                    }
+                    // both are 0 (not yet named persistents) / both are named specials (-98 <= ID
+                    // <=-1)
+                    return is_name_less;
+                  }
+
+                  // sort non-special named workspaces by name (ID <= -1377)
+                  return is_name_less;
+                  break;
               }
+
+              // Return a default value if none of the cases match.
+              return is_name_less;  // You can adjust this to your specific needs.
             });
 
   for (size_t i = 0; i < workspaces_.size(); ++i) {