Saúde mental no universo do teletrabalho e do trabalho digital: o papel da empresa na proteção do trabalhador

Abstract

This study seeks to deepen the academic discussion on the transformations of work in the digital age and their impacts on mental health, as well as the possible corporate responsibilities involved. Starting from a historical overview, it reaches the Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by accelerated technological advances and the rise of the Information Society. The physical work environment has merged with the digital, no longer restricted to traditional spatial and temporal boundaries. The Covid-19 pandemic intensified access to and the speed of communications, increasing the number of professionals working remotely. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon, it is necessary to analyze emerging terminologies and features of digital labor, such as its relationship with artificial intelligence, the gig economy, digital nomadism, and the creator economy. The methodological path made it possible to observe that current labor dynamics - marked by algorithmic surveillance and the blurring of boundaries between personal and professional life - not only intensify already known risks but also introduce new patterns of strain. Stress and workplace harassment are linked to the development of various disorders, which have contributed to the growing number of social security absences each year. Burnout, or professional exhaustion, stands out, but other disorders also demand understanding: technostress, burnon, zoom fatigue, karoshi, digital nomophobia, FOMO, among others. The research demonstrates the need to strengthen legal protection for digital workers, including measures to prevent discrimination, precariousness, and structural unemployment, in order to avoid labor-related suffering. The constitutional principle of human dignity, together with international standards concerning fundamental rights, health, and decent work, as well as domestic legislation and regulatory norms, provide the legal framework to consolidate such protection. Various strategies for preventing psychosocial risks are investigated, such as codes of ethics, listening channels, well-being programs, and monitoring technologies. It is concluded that digital work, while enhancing opportunities for flexibility and innovation, also generates vulnerabilities, thus requiring legal, organizational, and cultural responses.