The changing emotional codes underlying generation‑specific understandings of mental health at work: a qualitative study in the municipal sector

This qualitative interview study examined the changing role of emotions in under-
standing and forming work inability, and the tensions generated by differing emo-
tional codes in the workplace. Data were collected in 2021 through 70 interviews in
Finland’s municipal sector: young employees born between the late 1980s and early
2000s, their supervisors, and occupational health professionals born between the
late 1950s and early 1980s. Three thematic areas were identified: (1) Codes of self-
fulfilment were particularly pronounced among well-educated young employees in
knowledge-intensive jobs, often prompting emotion-focused reflection on well-being
and work ability. (2) Emotional codes diverged among young workers: while some
emphasized emotional well-being as integral to their work ability, others normalized
or embodied distress as part of working life, drawing on cultural norms of endur-
ance shaped by differing socio-cultural experiences. (3) Shifting emotional codes
have contributed to generational differences in how mental health and work abil-
ity are interpreted, leading to morally charged views on what constitutes legitimate
work inability. We conclude that the evolving significance of emotions in shaping
understandings of work ability and disability differentiates employee groups across
diverse social and occupational backgrounds, generating tensions within the field of
occupational health—particularly within the contested terrain of mental health.