affective labor

Affective labor refers to work that involves managing and producing emotional experiences, such as providing empathy, care, or emotional support. It’s common in jobs like customer service, healthcare, teaching, or hospitality, where employees regulate their own emotions and respond to others’ feelings to create a positive experience. This type of labor is often intangible and can be emotionally taxing, as workers invest personal emotional effort to foster connections or comfort clients and colleagues. Recognizing affective labor highlights its importance in workplaces and the impact it has on workers’ well-being.