Quality of work life, emotional and physical well-being of police personnel in India

Abstract

The job profile of police officers places exceptional demands on them leading to risks to life, personal discomfort and stress. This article aims to examine how the physical and emotional well-being of police personnel is affected by their perceived quality of work life (QWL). The study looked at the questionnaire responses of 234 police personnel. Emotional well-being is measured as the absence of depression, emotional hyperactivity, difficulty relaxing, irritability and anxiety, whereas physical well-being is measured as the presence of diabetes, thyroid problems, insomnia and obesity. The study assessed police perceptions of QWL as provided by the government. The study findings are segregated for QWL on the basis of dominant ill-being and dominant well-being. Factors such as career and development, working environment, safety, work load, compensation and fear of punishment should be carefully analysed and improved. Some 71.8% of the respondents suffered from two or more emotional ailments; 70% suffered from two or more physical ailments. Findings suggest that QWL dimensions that fall within dominant ill-being need to be addressed immediately by policy makers and management to improve police well-being.