Prazer, sofrimento e estratégias defensivas no trabalho: vivências de mulheres pós puerpério no retorno ao trabalho em empresas privadas

Abstract

The discussion about how work can generate both fulfillment and suffering is a duality that has caused conflicts since the Middle Ages, and is especially connected to the challenges of motherhood and professional life currently. Based on Christophe Dejours’s work on psychodynamics, this study sought to understand how women balance professional and family demands. The general objective of this research was to analyze the experiences of pleasure, suffering, and the defensive strategies adopted by postpartum women returning to work in private companies. The study employed a qualitative and descriptive approach, conducting ten structured interviews with women who had returned to work after the puerperium. The interviews were analyzed using Content Analysis, which allowed the organization of narratives and the identification of meaning patterns. The main findings showed that pleasure at work was associated with being welcomed upon returning from maternity leave, receiving recognition from supervisors, support from colleagues, and a sense of belonging. Many participants reported that small gestures of welcome, such as messages or symbolic receptions, strengthened their self-esteem. These gestures also supported their readaptation. Professional recognition, when present, contributed to motivation and a sense of competence. On the other hand, experiences of suffering at work were related to a lack of understanding from supervisors. Judgments about their productivity after becoming mothers, exclusion from opportunities, and the overload caused by the double workday were also issues. Derogatory comments and lack of flexibility were frequent factors. These factors generated anxiety, frustration, and feelings of guilt. Regarding defensive strategies, the women reported taking actions such as increasing their work effort to prove their capabilities, seeking emotional support from colleagues, negotiating schedules with managers, and organizing their routines more efficiently with help from family members, mentioned emotional self-regulation practices, such as taking breaks and recalling moments with their child to relieve tension. In conclusion, returning to work after the puerperium is a process marked by the coexistence of pleasure and suffering, influenced both by organizational attitudes and by the internal pressures experienced by women after becoming mothers. It was therefore possible to identify situations of pleasure and suffering and describe the defensive strategies used by the participants. Thus, the study’s objective was met. Organizational policies need to be more humanized, flexible, and sensitive to meet the needs of mothers.