ABSTRACT
Work-induced stress is a prime suspect in the etiology or aggravation of a variety of conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular disease. Nationally representative surveys of US, Canadian, and EU populations reveal 20–30% or more of the work force are often or always stressed in their work. Work with the public is associated with a particular form of emotional strain, characteristic of service-sector jobs usually performed by women. The emotional strain created by selling one’s emotional labor is particularly relevant to the work of airport check-in workers where the center of control may pass from the worker to the passenger or customer. Work activities characterized as repetitive, oversimplified, low in status, low in sense of control and in sense of participation, tend to be associated with the worst physical and job satisfaction dimensions. Some airport check-in workers told specifically about their experiences with violence at work.
