In good times and bad: Emotional labor in public health agencies

Public health agencies face a myriad of challenges, exacerbated by current economic conditions. Local health departments have lost significant numbers of jobs, instituted mandatory furloughs, and made programmatic cuts. Workforce changes brought about by current economic conditions can take an emotional toll on front line public health workers whose daily work already requires they engage in emotional labor when dealing with coworkers and vulnerable residents. Indeed, emotional labor is required of public health workers if residents are to have positive interactions with public health agencies. Thus emotional labor can be understood to be the emotional effort – labor - it takes to display emotions sanctioned in the workplace even if workers do not feel that way. This may or may not be a challenge for workers. It becomes a challenge when the “unedited” emotions workers feel in response to interactions with coworkers and residents are different from sanctioned emotions. Workers engage in emotional labor with both coworkers and residents. These interactions can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, distress, substance abuse, headaches, absenteeism, depression and cynicism. However emotional labor can also invoke positive responses including employee engagement, job satisfaction, dedication, and absorption in the work of public health agencies. To ensure the latter set of outcomes, public health agencies need incorporate programs, policies and procedures that minimize the amount of emotional labor required when interacting with coworkers. Public health agencies must also ensure employees have the resources, autonomy, feedback and learning opportunities that minimize the negative outcomes of dealing with residents.