Far and not away: expatriates navigating emotional labor amid war

What is it about?

Expatriate hotel workers are expected to maintain professional composure while managing customer interactions. However, when their home countries are experiencing war, they face a unique challenge: balancing workplace demands with personal distress. This study explores how expatriates in the hospitality industry navigate emotional labor during crises, revealing a ‘dual emotional burden’—the struggle to regulate emotions at work while coping with grief, guilt, and anxiety about loved ones back home. The research uncovers four types of guilt they experience, the paradoxical role of work as both a stressor and a coping mechanism, and the importance of cultural resilience in managing emotional strain. The findings highlight the urgent need for workplace interventions, such as counseling and structured support systems, to help employees cope with emotional labor in times of crisis.

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