Home office and the Work Environment of Public Servers

Abstract

Introduction: This article aimed to identify and analyze the changes that occurred due to the implementation of home office, as a result of Covid-19, in the work environment of technical-administrative employees at federal universities. The research used a qualitative and descriptive approach. The results showed that employees prefer to continue working from home, with the hybrid model or partial teleworking being preferred. The main advantages were autonomy and greater flexibility of schedules; increased productivity; less bureaucracy and family coexistence. And the main disadvantages were adequacy of the work space; leadership difficulties and feelings of isolation.   Objective: The objective of the research, which is exploratory in nature, is to analyze the changes that the home office brought to the work environment of technical-administrative employees at a federal university.   Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework is divided into two main parts. The first part deals with home office research, which conceptually underlies this research. The second part explores the home office in more detail in the context of Brazilian public administration.   Method: The qualitative methodology was adopted for this research, through semi-structured interviews with 18 administrative technical employees from the Federal University in São Paulo (UF). The Atlas TI 23 was used for content analysis. The research was authorized and approved by the Research Ethics committee at the institution involved.   Results and Discussion: The results showed a preference for the home office model, especially the hybrid or partial model (with in-person work once or twice a week). Also, it was found that the performance of the servers was influenced by the implementation of the home office, in their perception, with the majority reporting difficulties in adapting in the first months and, currently, they consider that their productivity has returned to the same standards, or improved, compared to when the activities were only in person.   Research Implications: It is considered that this study can serve as a reference for other public universities, as well as for federal institutes, as both enjoy the same managerial and administrative autonomy, constitutionally guaranteed; and the respective employees are under the same legal employment regime at the federal level.   Originality/Value: The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by [explain how the results may impact the area of study or professional practice]. It is considered that this study can serve as a reference for other public universities, as well as for federal institutes, as both enjoy the same managerial and administrative autonomy, constitutionally guaranteed; and the respective employees are under the same legal employment regime at the federal level.