The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Demands on By-law Officer Wellness and Work

Abstract

This research sheds light on how the rapid demand to enforce transitioning pandemic-related (and reopening) mandates impacts the wellness of bylaw officers in the context of resource strain. Ontario bylaw officers are at the forefront of the province’s response, enforcing lockdown rules to ensure community safety. This research is imperative in understanding how bylaw officers maintain their roles in municipal enforcement, while enforcing rapidly shifting COVID-19 regulations and moving forward into a post-lockdown climate. The research focuses on identifying and understanding the demands and resources that currently typify bylaw officers working in Southern Ontario. It further examines how the COVID-19 pandemic influences the level of work commitment and engagement bylaw officers have towards their jobs. Guided by Bakker and Demerouti’s (2007) Job Demands and Resource Model (JD-R Model), which suggests that an imbalance between high demands and limited resources can lead to stress and strain, this study explores the specific job demands and resources available to Ontario bylaw officers. In using a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis, semi-structured interviews with consenting bylaw officer participants (N=8) have been conducted. The data explores the lived experiences of bylaw officers during the announcement of the Emergency Act, understanding how work demands and resources impact their mental well-being, job engagement, and commitment. This study addresses a gap in the literature by investigating bylaw officers, and it clarifies the unique demands, stressors, resources, coping well-being, and occupational performance factors that have influenced their work during the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic. Moreover, the study highlights the challenges they face, such as increased job demands, insufficient resources and the emotional toll of enforcing public health measures. Additionally, it identifies coping strategies used by bylaw officers, including peer support, mental health resources, and personal coping mechanisms