How companies force ‘emotional labor’ on low-wage workers

[Sherman A1]

A Starbucks barista’s job is more than just serving coffee. She also needs to be polite, even friendly, to the customers. If she does her job correctly, then maybe the customer will walk away feeling like the barista was actually happy to serve him—that it was not only her job, but a genuine pleasure. In many jobs, that sort of projected enthusiasm may just be a way of earning some additional tips on top of the employee’s base pay. But in other lines of work—including the occupations which fuel America’s growing low-wage service sector—proper emotional responses are mandatory.

The sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild coined the term “emotional labor” in her 1983 book, The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, where she described it as ”management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display … sold for a wage.” The term can apply to work in a variety of professions, from escorts to doctors, but it is most often used in reference to the sort of attitude management which occurs in low-wage service sector jobs. Josh Eidelson and Timothy Noah recently discussed two prominent examples in articles for The Nation and The New Republic.

In The Nation, Eidelson highlights Starbucks’ famous “come together” cups as a perfect example of emotional labor. When the CEO of Starbucks required that DC area employees write “come together” on every paper Starbucks cup served until the fiscal cliff negotiations were over, writes Eidelson, he was forcing those workers to “act out a part—from speaking from a company script, to smiling despite verbal abuse or physical pain, to urging that Congress embrace a deal that could imperil their retirement.”

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/02/01/how-companies-force-emotional-labor-on-low-wage-service-workers/

[Notafraidtoo]

1. It disturbs me

I am too much of a realist to ever believe someone serving me at a drive through window or cashing me out at the grocery store is happy to see me and is interested in my life and how i am doing and yet cause of this weird corporate policy i have to grin and bare fake concern for how i am doing or that they hope i enjoy the movie i just purchased its some fake song and dance that doesn't resonate with me what so ever.

I hope one day people don't require fake gestures from people who they only see for a few seconds who's job would be much easier if they didn't have to be stressed out about you thinking they are rude cause they are busy. Why is it that the people that serve us must be fake to us to make us feel better? I mean its just a lie anyway why not make the poor saps jobs easier and not worry so much about false concern.

[southernyankeebelle]

2. Well I don't want someone to come to my store and not feeingl wanted. After all the customer

is my ticket to keeping my job and making you happy. I know there are days people don't want to be there but if you work in a place you have to deal with people you'd better come with a decent attitude or you will be out the door. Now writing on a cup is stupid. I remember having to fill empty plastic eggs with candy every year for an egg hunt plus wait on customer. Talk about a boring activity I had to do it was one of the worse. Iam sure many lower wage job holders can think of more. But when you are in a position and you have no choice you do what you have to do and you do it with a smile.