EFFECT OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AMONGST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Increasing employee engagement levels requires an understanding of how occupational stress management techniques relate to engagement. This is why working in law enforcement is still a stressful job that is marked by threats, high standards, and murky business dealings. If law enforcement organisations wish to raise staff engagement levels, they must adhere to the most important occupational stress management techniques. The factors that cause long-term employee disengagement are workplace stressors. This study explored the impact of occupational stress management strategies on police officers’ engagement in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, using the social exchange theory, which suggests that employees are more engaged when they feel supported by their organization. Focusing on work-life balance, employee counseling, safety and health programs, and perceived organizational support (POS), the study gathered data from 242 officers across 34 stations. The findings showed that these stress management strategies significantly increased engagement, with officers reporting higher motivation and commitment when they felt supported in balancing work demands, accessing counseling, and maintaining safety and health. Perceived organizational support proved to be a key factor that strengthened the positive impact of these strategies, raising the model’s explanatory power from 70.7% to 73.5%, meaning that officers who felt strong organizational support were even more positively affected by these practices. Additionally, each factor—work-life balance, counseling, safety, and health—independently boosted engagement, underscoring their individual contributions. By rejecting the null hypothesis, the study concluded that occupational stress management strategies, especially when reinforced by organizational support, are essential for enhancing engagement among law enforcement personnel, highlighting the importance for law enforcement agencies to invest in these supportive initiatives to help officers feel valued, resilient, and more connected to their work. The combined impact of these factors is of significant importance. The aforementioned implies that the National Police Service ought to give precedence to the enhancement and consolidation of policies pertaining to occupational stress management practises and perceived organisational support policies. This is imperative to efficaciously tackle the issue of occupational stress and foster elevated levels of employee engagement among law enforcement officers.