Glossary entry

Dread work

Definition

Tasks people avoid because the system punishes mistakes or withholds relief. It is a sign that the system has no cushioning at its boundaries, that its decisions are hard to challenge, and that people's capacity for emotional labor is running out.

BurdenAgency

Related terms

Executive function (as a class axis)
Cite this glossary entry · v1.17.1 · updated Oct 6, 2026 · CC BY-SA 4.0

APA

Ethotechnics Institute. (2026). Dread work. Ethotechnics glossary. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dread-work

MLA

Ethotechnics Institute. "Dread work." Ethotechnics glossary, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dread-work.

Chicago

Ethotechnics Institute. "Dread work." Ethotechnics glossary. Oct 6, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dread-work.

BibTeX

@misc{glossary_dread-work,
  title={Dread work},
  author={Ethotechnics Institute},
  year={2026},
  howpublished={Ethotechnics glossary},
  url={https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dread-work},
  version={v1.17.1}
}

RIS

TY  - WEB
TI  - Dread work
AU  - Ethotechnics Institute
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/dread-work
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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