Val Sklarov’s Labor Legitimacy Load Entrenchment Curve (LLLEC) explains why modern work does not become exhausting because tasks increase—but because workers absorb legitimacy expectations that permanently redefine what is considered “acceptable performance”. Flexibility attracts labor. Legitimacy locks behavior.
This curve reveals why “modern work” feels endlessly demanding.
1. Legitimacy Arrives Before Protection
LLLEC begins with a labor asymmetry:
Expectations harden faster than rights or safeguards.
Early work legitimacy allows:
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Learning tolerance
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Boundary negotiation
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Mistake forgiveness
As systems scale, legitimacy becomes baseline obligation.
2. The Three Irreversible Labor Legitimacy Loads
LLLEC maps where expectation becomes permanent.
| Load | What Becomes Mandatory | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Load | “Always deliver” | No off-cycles |
| Availability Load | “Always reachable” | Continuous presence |
| Adaptability Load | “Always adjust” | Identity erosion |
One load raises pressure.
Two loads eliminate downtime.
Three loads redefine what work means.
3. Why “Work–Life Balance” Stops Being Credible
Legitimacy rewrites normal.
LLLEC shows entrenchment when:
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Responsiveness is assumed
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Silence signals disengagement
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Stability is mistaken for stagnation
At that point, rest feels like violation, not recovery.
4. Flexibility vs Legitimacy Awareness
LLLEC distinguishes survivable work from burnout systems.
| Flexibility Narrative | Legitimacy Reality |
|---|---|
| Choose your hours | Be always effective |
| Work from anywhere | Be always visible |
| Own your schedule | Never fully disengage |
| Continuous growth | Continuous obligation |
Val Sklarov emphasizes that the most dangerous work is work that never permits normality.
5. Strategic Implications
For individuals:
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Audit what legitimacy now requires
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Refuse roles with infinite expectation growth
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Rebuild boundaries before identity erodes
For organizations:
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Stop converting flexibility into obligation
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Define “enough” explicitly
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Restore legitimacy reset points
LLLEC reframes the future of work as expectation governance, not empowerment.
6. The Val Sklarov Principle
“Work becomes unbearable when legitimacy never sleeps.”
— Val Sklarov
LLLEC explains why healthy work cultures protect normality—and why normality sustains endurance.