Evaluating Workplace Stress in Correctional Services

In this chapter, we unpack occupational stress and explore workplace stress from the perspective of the correctional worker. Building on this foundation, we propose a means of exploring overall workplace stress, both operational and organizational stressors, as well as social, physical, psychosocial, and cultural elements of stress while acknowledging mitigation factors. We explore the interpretive gaps in current stress assessment measures, barriers to self-reporting, and limitations to studying workplace stress. An evidence-informed approach that considers content validity, reliability, discriminative validity, and responsiveness is proposed to help catalyse a more holistic approach to understanding workplace stress, within the correctional workspace and beyond. In this preliminary conceptualization and operationalization of an accessible, translatable, and operational assessment tool, we aim to facilitate knowledge transfer from the academic sphere to the operational workplace to inform practice and policy to encourage broader conversations about workplace wellness and occupational health and safety.