Break the silence: managing professional identity of FLEs with invisible disabilities toward inclusive services

Purpose This study aims to explore strategies used by frontline service employees with invisible disabilities to manage the disclosure and concealment of their professional identities. This study develops a theoretical framework to help these workers navigate their roles effectively. This study also recommends ways in which service institutions can mitigate disparities and promote social justice. Design/methodology/approach Building on the literature on vulnerability and professional identity, the authors conducted 21 in-depth semi-structured interviews with frontline service employees with invisible disabilities. This study analyzed 1,170 min of data using reflexive thematic analysis, both manually and with MAXQDA software, to organize relevant excerpts and ensure consistency. Findings This study identified three strategies with emotional costs and related outcomes: i) isolation/encapsulation: individuals withdraw from interactions to avoid stigma, but this can lead to emotional exhaustion; ii) performance and productivity adaptation: workers attempt to compensate for perceived limitations by increasing their effort, sometimes at a high emotional cost; and iii) activism/advocacy in service work: some professionals channel their experiences into awareness-building, institutional transformation, and disability advocacy. These pathways are not mutually exclusive and may shift depending on environmental support and self-perception. Originality/value This study presents a framework based on disability disclosure models, incorporating diagnostic impacts, context (self, social, service), the disclosure continuum, pathways to isolation or activism, and intrinsic/extrinsic outcomes. Building on prior studies of disability identity in traditional employment, this research highlights the challenges and strategies faced by frontline service employees, particularly in educational service ecosystems with high-performance expectations, frontline interactions, and meritocratic pressures shaped by institutional ableism.