Health, wellness and organisational burdens for employees of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is the Canadian intelligence agency tasked with ensuring safety and national security for Canadians. Despite the essential public safety mandate, knowledge is rather limited about the occupational challenges experienced by CSIS employees and the role any challenges play in employee health. Through interviews with CSIS employees (n = 38), we explored their interpretations, specifically, of the challenges they described as organisationally or operationally inherent to their employment and how those experiences affect their health. We discuss findings in relation to overcoming organisational challenges at CSIS with specific policy and practice considerations oriented towards improving CSIS’s culture and employee wellness.