Direito à desconexão e dano existencial no trabalho remoto de profissionais da educação

Abstract

The work of high school teachers linked to the Regional Education Center of Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná, during a pandemic of the new coronavirus, underwent changes from the emergence of this global health crisis, as a new reality emerged for many categories from workers, space to figures such as remote work, to enable the functioning of some market segments, guaranteeing an offer of products and services during a pandemic. Thus, many workers were forced to adapt to new realities, new ways of working through virtual platforms, through the use of different technologies, in order to continue their work activity. In this context, educational institutions emerge among the first and most affected by the effects of the pandemic, given the large flow and agglomeration of people that necessarily cause it, greatly facilitating the contagion by the new coronavirus. As a result, the suspension of in-person classes was one of the first measures taken by the authorities, aiming to reduce virus transmission. In the State of Paraná, in order to comply with the school calendar for the 2020, the proposed solution was to adopt remote school activities, through virtual platforms for content provision and teaching, such model was made possible by the Decree state number 4230 of March 16, 2020. With this, teachers from the state education system had to suddenly adapt to the new reality, and, taking advantage of the available technological resources, teach classes and other activities, giving continuity to the school calendar. This sudden change, from face-to-face work to remote work, added to the current circumstances installed by the pandemic period, imprinted profound changes in the daily practice of teaching, as well as in the reorganization of daily life, which could lead to the occurrence of existential damage, caused by the violation of the right to disconnection that is guaranteed to all workers. In this context, this study aimed to unveil, in light of the right to disconnection and existential damage, the effects of remote work for education professionals during the validity of decree number 4230/2020 of the State of Paraná, and was carried out through bibliographical and documentary research, as well as through data collection through an open questionnaire to teachers of the state education system in Ponta Grossa and region. From the data obtained and from the analysis of the elements that characterize the existential damage, it was possible to identify evidence that the work of such professionals, under such conditions, may lead to the occurrence of the aforementioned off-balance sheet damage, due to the violation of the right to disconnection.