Tempo di cura e tempo di usura. Lavoro relazionale e strategie di gratificazione delle operatrici sociosanitarie in Veneto

This article presents a qualitative study conducted in several Residential care facilities (Rsa) in Veneto Region, focusing on the emotional labour of female care workers (Oss). It examines how work organization affects their psycho-physical well-being, arguing that the employment relationship in Rsa’s has a complex geometry that we describe as quadrangular, involving residents, managers, and residents’ families. The study analyses how regulatory changes have impacted work organization in long-term care facilities, increasing job complexity and physical and mental demands while intensifying tensions among workplace actors. The article also explores the coping strategies workers adopt to manage work pace, emotional load, and the tensions between imposed rules, external demands, and their professional aspirations.