Stress and support in the workplace: The perspective of forensic examiners

Abstract

Research regarding stress in the workplace and its potential impact upon forensic expert decision-making and wellbeing is scarce. In this study, 41 forensic examiners were surveyed about the sources of their stress, the support they receive, and the potential influence of stress on their decisions. Stress from managers, supervisors and case backlogs were identified as significant factors that contributed to stress in the workplace. Neither the type of case nor working in high-profile cases were reported to be major sources of stress. Crime scene examiners reported feeling higher levels of stress from personal reasons and from the nature of their cases than analytical examiners. Female examiners reported feeling more stressed than male examiners from both general stressors and workplace stressors. Examiners in the 11–15 years of experience group felt more pressure as a result of circumstances at work than examiners in the 7–10 years group. The level of management support was not associated with either the feelings of general stress or stress in the workplace. Examiners varied in their perceptions of whether stress affected their judgements: 39% felt that their judgments were influenced by stress, while 22% did not and 39% were unsure.