Lar, doce lar? Experiências e possibilidades na promoção de saúde mental de telesservidores públicos de instituições federais de ensino em teletrabalho

Abstract

The Public Administration, especially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, officially adopted telework as one of its working methods under the Management and Performance Program (PGD, Portuguese acronym). As a result of the implementation process, in order to continue to provide services, civil servants began to use spaces that were previously dedicated to their families for work. In some way, this situation may have changed the activity itself and, in particular, the mental health of the teleservants. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the possible effects of telework on the mental health of civil servants, identifying and exploring the management policies and practices that are most effective in promoting the mental health and quality of life of teleworkers. In order to better understand this phenomenon, the broader concept of telework has been adopted, which indicates that it is an activity that can be carried out anywhere, outside the workplace, using telematic resources. Given the abundance of studies on the subject, due to its widespread implementation in organizations, especially by the public administration, studies have differed as to the impact of telework on the mental health of teleworkers, some indicating that there is damage, while others have shown gains in quality of life at work and greater efficiency. In this sense, there was a gap in the literature on telework that this thesis aims to fill. To this end, three studies were conducted to achieve each of the specific objectives of the thesis, using different approaches. Thus, in Study 1, a scoping review was carried out, adopting the PRISMA 2020 guidelines in their ScR version, with the aim of identifying, mapping and synthesizing existing studies on the impact of telework on the mental health of civil servants, and it was found that telework requires an adequate articulation with work-family relationship, workload control, work redesign, autonomy and physical and personal structure for the perception of a healthy activity to occur. Study 2, on the other hand, aimed to analyze absenteeism due to common mental disorders (CMD) among employees of the Federal Educational Institutions (IFE), before and during the pandemic, where it was observed that, based on the analysis of statistical data, it is possible to point to the fact that telework in the public service contributes to the promotion of mental health. The aim of Study 3 was to analyze the experiences of teleworkers (feelings, benefits, changes in the concept of work) in one of the first federal educational institutions (IFE) to officially implement telework. For this purpose, online focus group technique was used for data collection and thematic categorical analysis for analysis. The results were presented using graphical tools such as a consensus and dissensus level access matrix and a proxemic and paralinguistic information documentation matrix, identifying strategies that can make teleworking a more effective way of working that promotes mental health, as well as pointing out feelings that can contribute to more efficient work. In addition, four types of work redesign were presented (broad; use of new technologies; personal and procedural adjustments; not necessary). Feelings about telework were also identified, with assertiveness, gratitude, emotional involvement, joy and satisfaction standing out. The results of the studies indicate that there is interest in issues such as anxiety and depression related to telework in public administration, but that there are still few studies in this area. In addition, this way of working can be considered emancipatory, as it contributes to the promotion of teleworkers' health through the redesign of their work. Advantages, disadvantages, strategies for the development of telework and types of work redesign were also identified. As a contribution, the thesis presents various possibilities, both in the theoretical and practical management fields, such as recognizing that telework can be a promoter of mental health, with work redesign as a mediator of the relationship between the activity and the teleservants. As a practical and managerial contribution, models of action and studies have been identified that contribute to the implementation of telework in public administration, promoting mental health, offering greater efficiency by reducing time off work for treatment of common mental disorders. Finally, teleworking in public administration can contribute to the quality of life of civil servants, through management actions that minimize risks to the balance between family and work and strengthen work characteristics that preserve autonomy and job satisfaction.