When work invades home: Perceptions about teleworking.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought on many changes in Brazil, one of them being the option of most organizations for 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 obliged to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying favorable and unfavorable factors for Quality of Work Life (QWL). We conducted qualitative research based on Activity-Centered Ergonomics Applied to Quality of Life at Work (ACE-QLW) for 12 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 ACE-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, current performance/fatigue characteristics, and the possible repercussions this can have on workers, their health, and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]