The tip of the iceberg: telework during the pandemic

Abstract

The new coronavirus pandemic compulsorily brought work into the homes of thousands of workers worldwide. Therefore, this essay aims to highlight the psychosocial factors of health risks and telework’s panorama in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and, in this context, to analyze the telework policy in Brazil. We presented the different concepts of telework and discuss how and why it is not a risk-free modality. The literature highlights psychosocial factors, such as social and professional isolation, work intensification and overlapping of professional and family activities. Secondary data obtained from the National Household Sample Survey and analyses by the Institute of Applied Economic Research during the pandemic revealed a panorama of inequality in the profile of those who have access to telework, in addition to the accentuation of regional differences. Finally, we identified a mismatch between the regulation of telework and the workers’ needs, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is necessary to elaborate, reformulate and implement policies, aiming to guarantee the rights and health of teleworkers.