The proportion of people working from their homes has significantly increased over the past ten years, according to data from the latest Continuous National Household Sample Survey (Continuous PNAD). Excluding public servants and domestic workers, 8.3% of employed people in the country in 2023 conducted their activities directly from their residential homes. It is noted that the growth of this group, which was nonexistent between 2012 and 2016, surged due to the pandemic, reaching 8.5% in 2022.
Although it has lost some momentum since the pandemic, remote work – or telecommuting – is a model that is here to stay, which means that a series of adaptations have been implemented in companies to ensure work quality and team well-being. However, working outside the office may raise some assumptions that do not necessarily correspond to reality. One of them is the idea that workplace harassment does not happen remotely. “In general, people feel less afraid of being held accountable and reprimanded in a virtual environment. This makes remote work as vulnerable and prone to harassment as in-person work,” points out Alessandra Costa, psychologist and partner at S2 Consultoria, a Brazilian reference in risk behavior management.
Being a novelty for many people, it is not always easy to identify signs of problems in the remote environment. To promote this discussion and bring more visibility to the topic, Alessandra selected some of the main behaviors that constitute workplace harassment in the home office, based on data and experience from S2 in dealing with risk prevention and corporate investigation.
- Invasive Communication
The way communication is established within a team must be respected by everyone. For example, when corporate numbers are used, sending messages or calling an employee’s personal number can be classified as problematic behavior.
“Exceptions can happen, but they should not override anyone’s privacy. Personal phones, social networks, and other ways of trying to make contact outside of company channels can become a form of harassment, especially when there is persistence,” informs the psychologist.
- Excessive messages
Even when the correct channels are used, some moderation is still necessary. “We live in an era of great urgency, and occasionally, it’s normal for a buildup of tasks and consequently information to occur. However, an excess of messages and constant demand for responses is an open door to anxiety, lack of prioritization, and discomfort. People can’t work properly if they have to respond to someone all the time, and this can quickly lead to burnout,” explains Alessandra.
- Disregard for schedule
Any work model may involve overtime, but there is a greater pressure for activity outside of the agreed-upon schedule when the environment is remote. Whether in the period before or after the correct time or even reducing lunchtime, this type of practice is classified as moral harassment.
Alessandra points out: “Managers who demand attention outside of working hours are disrespecting the contract between both parties and pressuring employees, often stating ‘it’s just this once’, but repeating the situation at other times. It is also necessary to be alert for threats, veiled or not, to professionals who refuse to respond or work outside of hours”.
- Excessive control
The need to know everything each employee is doing at all times is a problem that can arise in any environment, but becomes more pronounced in the home office through monitoring tools and the demand for constant contact.
“This type of situation stems from a lack of trust and can develop in a way that complicates the entire team’s interactions, and even the quality of the business. At S2, we have seen cases of managers demanding cameras in online meetings because they did not believe that employees were busy, at the same time, in meetings with clients,” exemplifies the specialist.
- High pressure
When there is a negative preconception about remote work, some behaviors become harmful. “Think, for example, of ‘surprise’ meetings, sometimes even in the first minute of the day or close to break times. If the professional does not appear immediately, there are managers who claim that this means they are lazy or dishonest, perhaps even in front of the rest of the team. It is a type of humiliation, and certainly constitutes harassment,” informs Alessandra.
In all these situations, it may be difficult for the victims to seek help, possibly out of fear of retaliation, shame and guilt from the act suffered, lack of trust in management, and lack of secure channels to seek help.
To ensure that harassment stays away from your company, remotely or not, some tips are essential, such as having a safe reporting channel and encouraging its use, maintaining transparent communication with the entire team, and having an updated code of conduct. ‘It is also recommended to promote training and lectures on moral harassment, as well as conduct an integrity test to prevent risky behaviors from occurring,’ concludes Alessandra.
