AbstractObjectives: Emotional burden on oncology care workers is considerable. These workers develop confidential relationship with the patient through interpersonal communication, which entails managing their own emotions as well as the emotions displayed by their patients, and it involves a great deal of emotion work. The objectives in our study were to assess the prevalence of burnout and emotional dissonance and to investigate the interrelationship among burnout, emotion work and coping in oncology care.Method: A cross‐sectional survey with anonymous questionnaires was conducted among oncology health care workers (N = 48) and non‐oncology health care workers (N = 151).Results: The comparison revealed differences primarily in emotion work and coping. Emotional dissonance as stress factor was more prevalent among oncology health care workers. Caregivers dealing with cancer patients felt that they have to display negative emotions less frequently, yet at the same time they frequently have to show understanding and express sympathy to the patient. When certain coping strategies were examined, we found that humour as potential resource in coping is used less frequently among oncology health care workers.Conclusion: In order to devise effective interventions to oncology personnel, we need to focus on the interaction between the carer and the cancer patient and have more evidence on emotional dissonance in oncology staff. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.