Occupational Stress Factors and Employee Engagement among Non-Academic Staff of Universities in Katsina State

Occupational stress remains an important organisational concern because workplace demands, working conditions and interpersonal experiences can influence employees' wellbeing and engagement. However, limited empirical evidence exists on whether occupational stress factors predict employee engagement among non-academic staff of universities in Katsina State. This study examined the effects of workload, work environment and interpersonal relations on employee engagement among non-academic staff of universities in Katsina State. A quantitative approach and descriptive survey design were adopted. The population comprised 3,251 non-academic staff from Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Umaru Musa Yar'adua University and Al-Qalam University, Katsina. A sample of 343 respondents was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan approach and selected through proportionate allocation and simple random sampling. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and Ordinary Least Squares regression at the 5% significance level. Findings showed that workload, work environment and interpersonal relations had positive but statistically insignificant effects on employee engagement. The regression model explained 2.1% of the variance in engagement and was not statistically significant. These findings provide context-specific evidence that the occupational stress factors examined may not be the primary determinants of engagement among non-academic university staff in Katsina State. The study recommends continued attention to working conditions while prioritising factors such as leadership, organisational culture, job security, reward systems, psychological capital and career development in future research and engagement strategies.