Emotional labor in politics: Effects on politicians

Working as a politician comes with specific hurdles and requirements. This includes what is known as “emotional labor” for elected officials: What emotional health effects does it have when people find themselves in a constant representative role and at the same time have to juggle their private lives, responsibilities to their own constituents, and political decisions? An article on this topic was recently published in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, based on a survey of more than 500 British politicians. It initially showed that emotional labor takes up a large part of many politicians' working day. In this sense, the political profession can be compared to other highly intensive service jobs, as a similar type of work is expected and the psychological effects can be similar. It should therefore come as no surprise that this leads to an increased risk of burnout-like symptoms – especially since preventive strategies are often not applicable in politics: as a politician, it is difficult to seek support from colleagues, and doing so can be interpreted by competitors as a sign of personal weakness. Another key finding of the study relates to gender-based differences: female elected officials engage in more emotional labor than their male counterparts. This can also be attributed to the fact that women are subject to higher expectations and are therefore more easily and frequently criticized. Despite these differences, however, the study emphasizes the relevance of specific training for all politicians in order to be able to deal with emotional labor effectively.

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