Work-related wellbeing in UK prison officers: a benchmarking approach
Name:
G Kinman Work-related wellbeing ...
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main article
Affiliation
University of BedfordshireIssue Date
2016-06-20Subjects
prison officersHSE
workplace health
measurement
job satisfaction
UK
stress
C811 Occupational Psychology
work-related stress
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Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to examine the well-being of UK prison officers by utilising a benchmarking approach. Design/methodology/approach-The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Stress Indicator Tool is widely used in the UK to assess key psychosocial hazards in the workplace encompassing demands, control, support from managers and co-workers, relationship quality, role and change management. This study utilises this approach to examine the extent to which a sample of UK prison officers meets the HSE recommended minimum standards for the management of work-related well-being. Levels of mental health and job satisfaction in the sector are also assessed using measures with extensive occupational norms. The psychosocial hazards that make the strongest contribution to mental health and job satisfaction are also considered. Findings-Respondents reported lower levels of well-being for all of the hazard categories than recommended. Moreover, mental health and job satisfaction were considerably poorer among prison officers than other occupational groups within the emergency and security services in the UK. Considerable variation was found in the psychosocial hazards that predicted mental health and job satisfaction. Practical implications-The high levels of stressors and strains experienced by UK prison officers gives serious cause for concern. Priority areas for interventions to enhance well-being in the sector are considered and areas for future research discussed. Originality/value-This study highlights the wide-ranging benefits of a benchmarking approach to investigate work-related stressors and strains at the sector level.Citation
Kinman G., Clements A., Hart J. (2016) 'Work-related wellbeing in UK prison officers: a benchmarking approach', International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 9 (3), pp.290-307.Publisher
EmeraldAdditional Links
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/IJWHM-09-2015-0054Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
1753-8351EISSN
1753-8351ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1108/IJWHM-09-2015-0054
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