When Work Invades Home: Perceptions about Teleworking

Abstract

The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought on many changes in Brazil, one of them being many organizations offering employees the option to set up teleworking, which up until that time had not been a common occurrence in the country. This article discusses the compulsory work from home scenario and analyzes the perceptions and experiences of workers who have been forced to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying favorable and unfavorable factors for Quality of Work Life (QWL). We carried out a qualitative research based on Activity-Centered Ergonomics Applied to Quality of Life at Work (AEA_QLW) for twelve workers with varying positions in different public and private sector organizations. We analyzed their perceptions and experiences about working from home based on six categories examined by (AEA_QLW). The results revealed a balance: three of the categories largely concerning well-being (socio-professional relationships, recognition and professional growth, and use of computers) and three other categories largely concerning malaise (working conditions, work organization, and opinions of work), indicating possible focal points for interventions and care in maintaining this type of work. Important issues were discussed such as the lack of distinction between public and private spaces, the characteristics of current performance/fatigue, and the possible repercussions this can have on workers, their health, and on organizations.