Abstract
In 2020, Brazilians were faced with the COVID-19 health crisis that caused a rupture in market and business standards, technologies, and models, directly affecting the way people relate to each other, work, and live, reshaping the social, cultural, and economic contexts. Among these changes, remote work has never been so evident in the daily life of companies and their employees. In this context, the question that guides this work is: What is the impact of working from home on people management in companies from the human resources point of view? This study is an exploratory survey carried out by means of an online questionnaire, responded to by 121 participants. The results indicate that telework can be a more humane way of working and a solution to numerous problems of modern society.
TopBackground
Remote Work
Working from home and telecommuting in locations outside the company using technological means have become the main alternatives for many professionals and companies around the world. The pandemic and social isolation were responsible for the large-scale adoption of these work modalities.
Home-based work, one of the types of work, is any intellectual work performed at a person´s house using technology (computers, tablets, smartphones, and Internet, either broadband, fixed and/or mobile telephony) that allows receiving and transmitting information, text files, image or sound related to the work activity (Sociedade Brasileira de Teletrabalho e Teleatividades, 2020, p. 7).
“Home office” is a term borrowed from English used in Brazil to describe work done at home. Remote work means partially or fully performing professional activities outside the company. In hybrid jobs, the employee, entrepreneur, or freelancer performs part of the tasks within the company premises and another part remotely. Therefore, remote work takes place in someone’s private home with the supply of necessary tools to execute job-related activities by the employer, who is responsible for ensuring these tools. Home-based work is the possibility of doing on-site job activities at home with the use of technological resources – and the employer controls the working hours. Teleworking is an activity performed remotely, provided for in a contract, through technological resources, without control of working hours and regulated by the Labor Code - CLT (Oliveira & Tchakerian, 2020).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Accessibility in Terms of Labor: Refers to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment that allows for full participation and equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their abilities or limitations. It is the process of removing physical, technological, and social barriers that may hinder the active participation and professional achievement of individuals with disabilities or special needs. Workplace accessibility encompasses several dimensions: physical, technological, communicational, attitudinal (promoting an inclusive culture in the workplace that values diversity and respects individual differences), cognitive (adapting the work environment to meet the needs of individuals with cognitive disabilities, such as learning difficulties or autism spectrum disorders) etc.
Diversity Workplace: Refers to the presence of a variety of characteristics, experiences, backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives among employees within an organization. These characteristics may include, but are not limited to, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, and education. To effectively value and promote diversity, it is necessary to foster an inclusive organizational culture, provide training and awareness programs, and adopt policies and practices that encourage diversity and prevent discrimination. Embracing diversity allows organizations to reap the benefits of a dynamic and inclusive workforce, providing a more enriching and equitable environment for all.
Workplace Inclusion: Refers to a work environment where all individuals are valued, respected, and have equal opportunities, regardless of their characteristics, backgrounds, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, or any other dimension of diversity. It is the process of creating a workplace that embraces and values diversity, promoting full participation and engagement of all employees. Workplace inclusion is an ongoing process that requires leadership commitment, employee awareness and training, and an organizational culture that promotes diversity and inclusion as core values. By creating an inclusive work environment, organizations are able to harness the full potential of their employees, promoting innovation, productivity, and job satisfaction.
Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT): Is a set of norms and regulations that establish the rights and duties of workers and employers in Brazil. It was created in 1943 by Decree-Law No. 5,452, during the government of Getúlio Vargas, and has been the main labor legislation in the country since then. The CLT's main objective is to regulate labor relations, promoting social justice, protecting workers, and ensuring harmony in the relationships between employees and employers. It covers various areas such as employment contracts, working hours, vacations, wages, benefits, occupational safety and health, and other aspects related to employment. The CLT is an important milestone in Brazilian labor legislation and has been subject to discussions and updates over the years to adapt to changes in the labor market. Furthermore, it is important to note that the CLT may undergo changes and complements through complementary laws, provisional measures, collective bargaining agreements, and judicial decisions.
Telework: In Brazil, telework refers to a work modality in which employees carry out their activities remotely, outside the physical premises of the company. In this arrangement, the employee performs their tasks in a location of their choice, such as their residence, using technological resources to communicate and execute their duties. Telework in Brazil is regulated by Law No. 13,467/2017, known as the Labor Reform. This legislation introduced amendments to the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) to encompass telework, establishing specific guidelines for this form of work. According to the law, for telework to be valid, there must be a formal agreement between the employer and the employee, usually through an individual employment contract or an addendum to an existing contract.
Promoting Labor Accessibility: Not only fulfills legal obligations of equality and inclusion but also contributes to a more diverse, creative, and productive work environment. By creating an accessible environment, organizations provide equal opportunities to their employees and help maximize the potential of all individuals, regardless of their abilities or limitations.
ChatGPT: An artificial intelligence - AI language model, developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture, specifically GPT-3.5. It is designed to generate human-like text responses given a prompt or a conversational context. It has been trained on a vast amount of diverse text data from the internet and is capable of understanding and generating coherent and contextually relevant responses.
Quality of Life: The overall perception of well-being, satisfaction, and fulfillment that an individual experiences in different areas of their life. It is a comprehensive concept that encompasses both objective and subjective aspects and includes various domains such as physical and mental health, interpersonal relationships, emotional well-being, job satisfaction, work-life balance, access to resources and opportunities, among others. Quality of life can be influenced by various factors, including socioeconomic conditions, physical environment, health status, personal relationships, sense of purpose and meaning in life, autonomy, security, access to services and basic resources, among other elements.
Productivity: The measure of efficiency and production capacity in relation to the resources used. It is related to the quantity of results achieved in relation to the time, effort, resources, and inputs employed in an activity or process. In a business context, productivity is often evaluated in terms of the production of goods or services per unit of time or per worker. It is important to note that productivity is not just about doing more in less time but also about seeking efficiency, quality, and innovation.
Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço (FGTS): Severance Pay Fund, is a benefit provided to workers in Brazil. It is a social and economic fund managed by Caixa Econômica Federal – CEF ( https://www.caixa.gov.br AU85: The URL https://www.caixa.gov.br has been redirected to https://www.caixa.gov.br/Paginas/home-caixa.aspx. Please verify the URL. ), aimed at protecting labor rights and promoting financial stability for workers. The FGTS is a monthly deposit equivalent to 8% of the employee's salary, made by the employer into an individual account held by the worker at CEF. The deposited amount is not deducted from the worker's salary and is the employer's obligation. The FGTS is a right guaranteed by Brazilian labor legislation, aiming to protect workers' interests and provide financial security during times of need. The funds deposited in the FGTS are adjusted for inflation and may also earn interest over time, according to the government's established policies.