This article discusses organizational stress among corrections officers, and the impacts that high-stress work environments can have on work-life balance.
Research conducted by Northeastern University found that organizational stress among corrections officers, particularly in relationships between supervisors and front-line officers, along with long shifts or mandatory overtime, substantially contributed to a high-stress work environment that can interfere with a positive work-life balance.
The urgent need to address the impact of organizational stress on staff has begun to gain traction in corrections and other justice system sectors. In the law enforcement community, for example, practitioners have advocated in favor of the development of officer skills to mitigate the stress of toxic office politics. Recent research supported by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) suggests a similar movement exists in the corrections environment.