Affiliations: [a] Monash University Accident Research Centre, Monash University, VIC, Australia
| [b] Sociology and Gender Studies, School of Social Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Australia
| [c]
Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR), VIC, Australia
| [d]
University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Sharon Newnam, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Monash University, Level 1, Building 70, Clayton Campus, VIC 3800, Australia. Tel.: +613 99054370; E-mail: sharon.newnam@monash.edu.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Case managers within injury compensation systems are confronted with various emotional demands. OBJECTIVE: Employing the concept of emotional labour, this paper explores distinctive aspects of these demands. METHODS: The findings are drawn from focus groups with 21 Australian case managers. RESULTS: Case managers work was characterised by extra-role commitments, emotional control, stress and balancing tensions arising from differing stakeholder expectations about outcomes related to compensation and return to work. CONCLUSIONS: By examining the experiences of case managers, the findings add to the literature on the emotional labour of front line service workers, especially with respect to the demands involved in managing the conflicting demands of work.
Keywords: Emotional labour, case managers, compensation industry
