An investigation into the south african correctional officers’ lived experiences of their work and the employee assistance programme and meaning thereof

Abstract

Correctional officers work in a coercive environment and as such they are confronted with various challenges on a daily basis. Research found that the unique stressors that correctional officers experience result in stress which can negatively impact their physical and psychological health as well as their family life. However, limited research has been conducted to identify the stressors that are relevant to the South African correctional officer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate South African correctional officers’ lived experiences of their work and work environment and the Employee Assistance Programme and the meaning they attached to them. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were utilised to select the 20 participants from the two correctional centres of the Department of Correctional Services in Worcester, Western Cape. The sample consisted of 11 male and 9 female correctional officers between the ages of 26 and 56 years with a mean age of 43.4. A qualitative approach was utilised to obtain in-depth insights into the lived experiences and attributed meanings of participants. Individual interviews were conducted with the participants by utilising a semi-structured interview guide. A demographic questionnaire was completed by each participant after the interview. The interviews were audio-recorded with the written permission of each participant and transcribed for analysis. Through the use of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) 7 themes were identified namely: (a) confronting various challenges on a daily basis (b) various dimensions of correctional officers life affected (c) neglect of correctional officers’ well-being (d) coping mechanisms (e) barriers preventing corrections officers from utilising the EAP (f) a recognition of the positive value of the EAP (g) personal meaning derived from work. In addition, the themes consist of various subthemes. The findings of the study suggest that correctional officers are confronted with various challenges on a daily basis, which include lack of input into decision making, lack of support from management, lack of trust in management, pressure caused by staff shortages, lack of resources, inadequate training opportunities and a lack of promotion system. Furthermore, participants revealed that their work and work environment had a negative impact on their physical and psychological health as well as their family life. In addition, participants reported that aspects of their well-being are neglected which include a lack of interest from management in their problems, a lack of recognition and motivation from management as well as a lack of team-building opportunities. Various coping mechanisms were utilised by the participants which seems to act as a buffer against the negative effects of their stressful work and work environment. These coping mechanisms include conflict resolution and communication skills, religion, sport, positive thinking, resilience as well as family and co-worker support. A variety of barriers that prevent participants from using the EAP service that are offered at work were identified. These barriers indicated by the participants included a lack of trust in the EAP, the stigma attached to using the EAP, difficulty relating with the EAP practitioner, a negative perception of the EAP, and insufficient marketing of the EAP. Despite the barriers, participants recognised the overall positive value of the EAP service in the Department of Correctional Service. Participants appear to find meaning in their work. Some participants expressed the satisfaction that they experienced from their job while others expressed the sense of reward that they experience from their job. Recommendations for further research include the evaluation of the EAP programme to determine its effectiveness on a national level, more involvement from management in ground floor correctional officers, providing additional teambuilding oppertunities and reintroducing Wellness Days. A limitation of the study is that only a small sample of correctional officers limited to two correctional facilities in Worcester, Western Cape, was used. Therefore, the findings of the study could not be generalised to the whole population of South African correctional officers.