How can we support wellbeing and prevent burnout in public safety professionals?
Project Summary
Burnout is linked to a wide range of negative outcomes for both employees and organizations. Public safety professionals such as Fire, Police, 911 Dispatch, and community safety employees are at especially high risk of burnout, yet little is known about how to best support these employees amidst the unique challenges they face. In collaboration with the City of Durham, NC’s Public Safety Departments, The People Lab is designing and testing approaches to improve employee wellbeing and reduce burnout.
Why is this issue important?
Public safety departments across the country are facing increasing turnover, in some cases leading to staffing shortages that threaten public safety services. Burnout is one of numerous workplace factors that may contribute to turnover. Public safety employees face a variety of challenges – including demanding shift schedules and the stressful nature of public safety incidents – that put them at high risk of burnout. In Durham, NC, initial surveys suggest that employees across Fire, Police, 911 Dispatch, and Community Safety departments exhibit work-related burnout. Understanding what interventions can improve first responders’ wellbeing can help public safety departments across the country better support and retain employees.
What are we doing?
In collaboration with the City of Durham, we are co-designing a research project that will measure public safety employees’ wellbeing and how this varies by employee and job characteristics. We will then develop and test solutions aimed at improving wellbeing, reducing burnout, and ultimately increasing retention.
What have we learned?
The project is ongoing, and is currently in the design phase. We expect to launch the study in 2026.