The Role of Work-Life Balance in Employee Wellness and Occupational Stress among Police Officers at Vhembe District

Abstract

This study examined the role of work–life balance in employee wellness and occupational stress among police officers in the Vhembe District. Police officers continue to serve as frontline protectors, yet the public remains largely unaware of the pressures they face daily. Work–life balance plays a crucial role in shaping employee attitudes toward both work and personal life. Guided by a positivist paradigm, the study adopted a quantitative research approach and a Correlational research design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to a probability sample using the census method, where one questionnaire was used to collect data from all police officers included in the study. The analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Version 29.0, with results presented through tables, graphs, frequencies, and percentages. The findings revealed a strong positive correlation between work–life balance and employee wellness (r = .970, p < .001), demonstrating that officers who maintain a healthy balance report significantly higher levels of wellness. A strong negative correlation was found between work–life balance and occupational stress (r = –.822, p < .001), indicating that poor balance contributes to elevated stress levels. Furthermore, occupational stress showed a strong negative correlation with employee wellness (r = –.852, p < .001), confirming that increased stress significantly diminishes overall well-being. Based on these findings, the study recommends that police management strengthen work–life balance practices through flexible scheduling, improved workload distribution, and adequate rest periods, while also implementing wellness initiatives such as mental health programmes, counselling services, and stress-management interventions to support officers’ holistic well-being. The study concludes that promoting work–life balance is essential for enhancing wellness and reducing occupational stress among police officers in the Vhembe District, and further research should explore additional mediating factors to deepen understanding within policing contexts.