Effect of Mandatory and Voluntary Overtimes Hours on Stress among 9-1-1 Telecommunicators

Abstract

9-1-1 telecommunicators are frequently exposed to indirect traumatic events that can impact their mental and physical health. Telecommunicators are also commonly required to work overtime with rotating shifts. Evidence from studies in other industries suggested the harmful effects of overtime on the health and wellbeing of workers such as musculoskeletal injuries, obesity, absenteeism, burnout, job satisfaction, fatigue, intent to leave, emotional disorders, and lack of time for housework. However, there is limited research on the impact of overtime hours, especially mandatory overtime hours on 9-1-1 telecommunicators’ stress. This study aimed to examine the relationship between overtimes hours—mandatory and voluntary—and level of stress symptoms among 9-1-1 telecommunicators. Secondary data analysis was conducted for data collected from surveys as part of a larger intervention study. Linear mixed-effects regression was applied to explore the association of overtime hours on the C-SOSI score while considering the ‘call centers’ variable as a random effect. Of the 441 participants, 50.2% reported that they were required to work overtime (mandatory overtime) and among those who worked mandatory overtime, the mean mandatory overtime hours were 7.52 (SD=12.71) in the past month. The percentage of 9-1-1 telecommunicators who worked voluntary overtime was 61.06% and the mean voluntary overtime hours were 11.73 (SD=17.57). From the hypothesis test, this study found that mandatory overtime hours were associated with an increase in the self-reported symptoms of stress (β = .41, p=.002), whereas no significant relationship was found between voluntary overtime and the level of stress symptoms. Further studies should focus on developing interventions to reduce and manage stress, and strategies to retain and recruit staff are needed to reduce the overtime hours, especially mandatory overtime.