Erickson has studied the effects of emotional labor on workers’ wellbeings and how gender plays a role in the management of feelings. While gender does not impact an employee’s propensity to feel discouraged by performing emotional labor, but the way that worker’s reaction is perceived does vary between men and women. “When men are doing that emotional labor, they get a bonus from doing that,” she said. “When they show caring and concern it’s seen as ‘Look at that positive thing that man is doing. He’s aware of the emotional need and he’s addressing that.’ Whereas women doing that same behavior are seen as ‘That’s just natural.’”