Work Won't Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe Summary

Work Won’t Love You Back critiques the "labour of love" myth—the idea that passion-driven work (e.g., teaching, caregiving, creative fields) justifies poor pay and exploitative conditions. Through case studies across industries, Sarah Jaffe reveals how employers weaponize emotional attachment to extract unpaid labor, while urging workers to reclaim their time and value.

This book is essential for workers in passion-driven fields (nonprofits, education, arts), labor activists, and anyone questioning burnout culture. It’s also valuable for readers interested in critiques of capitalism, workplace inequality, and collective resistance strategies.

Yes—it’s praised for its incisive analysis of modern work myths, blending historical context, personal narratives, and actionable insights. Critics highlight its relevance to post-pandemic labor struggles and its alignment with works by David Graeber and Astra Taylor.

The "labour of love" myth frames certain jobs as vocational callings rather than paid work, allowing employers to exploit passion by normalizing low wages, overwork, and guilt-tripping. Examples include unpaid internships, teachers sacrificing personal time, and athletes risking health for team loyalty.

Jaffe profiles workers organizing unions, demanding fair pay, and rejecting emotional manipulation. For instance, nonprofit employees challenging "mission-driven" underpayment and athletes unionizing against exploitative contracts. These stories underscore collective action as a path to systemic change.

She analyzes education, nonprofits, domestic work, tech, sports, and the arts. Each chapter traces how the "labour of love" myth emerged in these sectors and how workers resist, such as teachers striking for better conditions or gig workers organizing for benefits.

Jaffe argues that burnout stems from employers weaponizing passion to extract unsustainable labor. For example, nurses praised as "heroes" during COVID-19 faced grueling hours without adequate pay or support. The book links burnout to systemic exploitation, not individual failure.

• "Your passion is your employer’s profit": Highlights how companies monetize workers’ emotional investment
• "Work won’t love you back, but it can pay you fairly": A rallying cry for divorcing self-worth from productivity

Both critique modern work culture, but Jaffe focuses on passion-driven exploitation, while Graeber examines meaningless jobs. Work Won’t Love You Back offers more case studies of resistance, bridging critique with actionable solutions.

Some readers note repetitive structure across chapters and a dense academic tone. Others argue it prioritizes collective action over individual coping strategies, which may feel overwhelming for those seeking personal advice.

Jaffe critiques platforms like Uber for framing gig work as "flexible" while denying benefits and stable pay. She highlights driver-led campaigns for unionization and legal recognition as employees, not contractors.

Post-pandemic, remote work surveillance, AI-driven productivity demands, and union resurgence make Jaffe’s analysis critical. The book equips workers to challenge narratives that tie identity to labor in an era of rapid technological change.