Title: Understanding policy-related drivers of workplace stress among local level government disaster officers in Sri Lanka
Abstract:
Workplace stress is an emerging global public health concern, with nearly 40% of employees worldwide experiencing daily stress at work. Sri Lanka reports particularly high levels, with approximately 62% of its workforce affected by daily work-related stress. Among the most vulnerable groups are the disaster workforce with Sri Lanka ranking high in disaster vulnerability. The local-level government officers form a critical component of the disaster workforce and are required to engage in high-risk emergency response activities. Unlike other disaster response groups such as the military, these officers are primarily desk-based civil servants who are assigned disaster responsibilities without specialised training, or adequate workplace health and safety conditions. Despite their critical role, limited research has examined the workplace stress experienced by these officers. Existing studies have only identified their individual work problems, highlighting a significant gap in understanding the systemic and policy-level drivers of workplace stress. Addressing policy-level factors is particularly important because policies shape working conditions, decision-making authority, workload distribution, and access to resources, thereby directly influencing workplace stress across all levels of the disaster management system. This gap is increasingly concerning as climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of natural hazards in Sri Lanka, leading to increased workloads, time pressures, and responsibility burdens for local-level officers. This is part of a broader study examining multi-factorial causes of workplace stress and potential mitigation strategies. This presentation will focus specifically on the policy-level stressors and strategies. This qualitative study was conducted in Sri Lanka’s Ratnapura district, a disaster-prone area frequently affected by floods and landslides. Data collection occurred in two phases. In the first phase, district, divisional, and village-level officers participated in 11 semi-structured interviews and six workshops to describe policy-related factors contributing to workplace stress. In the second phase, findings from the initial analysis were presented to a selected group of officers through two focus group discussions, during which participants proposed solutions and policy recommendations to address the identified challenges. Several key policy-level barriers contributing to workplace stress were identified. Officers highlighted the impracticality of existing disaster management regulations, noting that many policies are poorly aligned with real-world disaster response conditions. The complexity of legal frameworks was reported to hinder timely decision-making, increasing stress during emergency situations. Participants also identified language barriers, as ordinances remain written in English from the colonial era and do not align with current administrative systems. Officers recommended bottom-to-top approach in policy making, amending outdated regulations, and rewriting policies in the native Sinhala language to improve clarity. Additionally, lengthy bureaucratic procedures were identified as a barrier with digitalisation proposed as a potential long-term solution. However, limited access to digital devices among some officers has created further inequities, prompting recommendations for increased funding and continued provision of printed circulars for officers who require them. In conclusion, reducing workplace stress among local-level government disaster officers requires practical and simplified policies, removal of language barriers, inclusive bottom-up policymaking, and accessible communication mechanisms to strengthen workplace health and safety systems within an increasingly burdened disaster workforce in Sri Lanka.
