The proportion of people working from their homes has increased significantly over the past ten years, according to data from the latest Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua). Excluding public servants and domestic workers, 8.3% of employed people in the country in 2023 carried out their activities directly from their residence. It is noted that the growth of this group, which was zero between 2012 and 2016, surged as a result of the pandemic, reaching 8.5% in 2022.
Although it has lost some traction since the pandemic, home office – or remote work – 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 can raise some assumptions that do not necessarily reflect reality. One of them is the idea that moral harassment does not happen at a distance. "In general, people feel less afraid of being held accountable and reprimanded in a virtual environment. This makes remote work vulnerable and as prone to harassment as in-person," points out Alessandra Costa, psychologist and partner of theS2 Consulting, a Brazilian reference in risk behavior management.
Because it is new to many people, it is not always easy to identify the signs of problems in the remote environment. To raise this debate and bring more visibility to the subject, Alessandra selected some of the main behaviors that constitute moral harassment in remote work, based on data and experience from S2 in risk prevention and corporate investigation.
- Invasive communication
The way communication was established in a particular team must be respected by everyone. For example, when corporate numbers are used, sending messages or calling a employee's personal number can be classified as problematic behavior.
“Exceptions may occur, but they should not override anyone’s privacy. Personal phones, social networks and other ways of trying to force contact outside of company channels can become a type of harassment, especially when there is insistence”, informs the psychologist.
- Too many messages
Even when the correct channels are used, some moderation is still necessary. "We live in an era of great urgency, and from time to time, it is normal for tasks and consequently information to accumulate. But the excess of messages and the demand for constant responses is an open door to anxiety, lack of prioritization, and discomfort. People cannot work properly if they need to respond to someone all the time, and this can quickly lead them to cases of burnout," explains Alessandra.
- Disrespect for the schedule
Any work model may involve overtime, but there is greater pressure to work outside the agreed hours when the environment is remote. Whether before or after the correct period or even by reducing the lunch break, 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 the parties and putting pressure on employees, often saying that it is 'just this once', but repeating the situation at other times. It is also necessary to be aware of threats, veiled or not, to employees who refuse to respond or work outside of working 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 requirement for constant contact.
“This type of situation comes from a lack of trust and can develop in a way that complicates the entire team’s coexistence, 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 their own clients”, explains the specialist.
- High pressure
When there is a negative preconception about remote work, some behaviors become harmful. "Think, for example, about 'surprise' meetings, sometimes even in the first minute of the day or close to break times. If the professional does not appear immediately, some managers claim that this means they are lazy or dishonest, perhaps even in front of the rest of the team. It is a form of humiliation and certainly constitutes harassment," says Alessandra.
In all of these situations, it can be difficult for victims to seek help, possibly due to fear of retaliation, shame and guilt over the act suffered, lack of trust in management and lack of safe channels to seek help.
To ensure that harassment stays away from your company, whether remotely or not, some essential tips include having a secure reporting channel and encouraging its use, maintaining transparent communication with the entire team, and having an up-to-date code of conduct. "It is also recommended to promote training and lectures on moral harassment, as well as to apply an integrity test to prevent risky behaviors from even occurring," concludes Alessandra.
