Glossary entry

Compensatory inputs

Definition

Eight kinds of uncounted work that make up the human subsidy and keep an institution running. They are usually read as personal dedication or routine operation. The eight are repair (fixing defects), coordination (bridging silos), interpretation (deciphering rules), anticipation (predicting failures), affective work (absorbing friction), self-regulation (setting aside bodily or schedule needs), risk-bearing (absorbing liability), and temporal work (waiting, chasing, and rearranging schedules).

BurdenTemporalStructural

Tests that show it is in place

  • Time in frontline roles is broken down by the eight categories, and non-formal repair is reported beside formal tasks.
  • Each compensatory input is linked to the upstream fix, in data integration or policy, that would remove it.

Hypothetical example

  • A patient spends sixteen hours coordinating records across four clinics, serving as uncredited coordination infrastructure for an interoperability failure.

Related terms

Compensatory adaptation Adaptation externality Falsified denominator Manufactured virtue

References

Cite this glossary entry · v1.17.1 · updated Oct 6, 2026 · CC BY-SA 4.0

APA

Ethotechnics Institute. (2026). Compensatory inputs. Ethotechnics glossary. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/compensatory-inputs

MLA

Ethotechnics Institute. "Compensatory inputs." Ethotechnics glossary, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/compensatory-inputs.

Chicago

Ethotechnics Institute. "Compensatory inputs." Ethotechnics glossary. Oct 6, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/compensatory-inputs.

BibTeX

@misc{glossary_compensatory-inputs,
  title={Compensatory inputs},
  author={Ethotechnics Institute},
  year={2026},
  howpublished={Ethotechnics glossary},
  url={https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/compensatory-inputs},
  version={v1.17.1}
}

RIS

TY  - WEB
TI  - Compensatory inputs
AU  - Ethotechnics Institute
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/compensatory-inputs
ER  -

Authorship

Contact: hello@ethotechnics.org

Publication details

  • Published: Dec 3, 2025
  • Last updated: Oct 6, 2026
  • Version: v1.17.1

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Credit Ethotechnics Institute, include the term title and version, and link to the glossary permalink.

Archive: Wayback Machine history

Latest change

v1.17.1 · Oct 6, 2026 — Editorial revision. Titles are in sentence case. Pasted spec blocks are replaced with prose and worked examples, 79 operational tests are rewritten as pass conditions, 22 origin notes are rewritten or sourced, and unsourced superlatives are cut. No terms were added or removed, and permalinks are unchanged.

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