Purpose: Social work practice needs emotional labor input, the level of which is related to job satisfaction, and well-being. The aim of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the Emotional Labor Scale (ELS) for social workers in Mainland, China. Method: Using a quota sampling method, 476 social workers in Mainland China were selected, and the reliability, and validity of the translated ELS was tested. Results: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a six-factor structure, which was consistent with the original scale. The Chinese version of ELS was indicated to have good factorial validity (KMO = 0.75, Bartlett’s test of sphericity: χ2 = 882.65, df = 91, p < 0.001) and reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.69). Conclusions: The validated Chinese version of ELS was applicable in future assessments of emotional labor of social workers in recruitment, training and supervision work in Mainland China. Cutoff scores were also suggested.
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