Round Table China

Across North American cafés, workers juggle espresso machines and emotional labor: remembering names, performing cheer, even handwriting pep talks on cups. Some customers cherish the human touch; others wonder—when does 'service with a smile' become unpaid emotional work? The invisible effort of keeping moods light and interactions pleasant often falls disproportionately on service staff. As we rethink fair compensation, perhaps it's time to ask: Should emotional labor come with a paycheck too? On the show: Heyang, Steve Hatherly & Yushun