A qualidade de vida no trabalho e o estresse dos trabalhadores em uma indústria cearense

Abstract

The subject of this research was born in our inquietude related with the role that quality of life at work (QLW) practices developed by socially responsible companies would have on stress at work, since we consider that such practices of QLW are spreading, as well as the level of stress at work, and that they can be suitable channels for stress management at work initiatives. The central purpose of the research was to describe the relationship between quality of life at work practices and the stress of workers in a industry at Ceará state and the specific ones were to map the quality of life at work practices on the company investigated, to investigate the existence of actions related with stress management at work on the company investigated, to identify the quality of life at work practices adopted by the company investigated that have relation with stress at work, to diagnosis the factors that contribute more for the rising or reduction of stress at work in the company investigated and to verify the occurrence of stress at work among the employees of the company investigated. The methodological option of the research was both of quantitative and qualitative nature, exploratory and descriptive type and through the case study of a company of civil construction industrial sector. Our field of study included: corporate social responsibility (with emphasis in its internal aspect), quality of life at work and stress management at work. The company investigated won the editions of 2004 and 2005 of SESI (SERVIÇO SOCIAL DA INDÚSTRIA) Quality at Work Prize at less than 100 workers category and presented an expressive amount of actions of QLW. We interview 16 company employees. Our research on the occurrence of stress among the company employees disclosed that 37.5% presented a slightly level of stress with manifestation of few symptoms, what meant a picture of a manageable situation in a sector whose trend is of high level of stress among employees. In our initial mapping we identified 55 practices directly or indirectly connected with QLW that reached 100% of the employees. The company practices of QLW related with stress at work with 69% or more answers were the following: opportunities for professional education; health care; relationship among employees; socio and cultural activities; illnesses and accidents prevention; social benefits offered; relationship with leaders and sport and leisure activities. The most pointed stress factors in order of importance were: too much pressure for goals and closing date; overload of responsibilities and bad relationship with leaders. We considered that most of the stressing factors identified can be adequately managed in close relation with the promotion of quality of life at work actions and we concluded that exist a relation between these two topics even if the company does not maintain an organized stress management program.