CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS OF JUDICIARY CIVIL SERVANTS IN RIO GRANDE DO NORTE IN BALANCING WORK AND CAREGIVING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: INSIGHTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL CARE POLICIES
WORK–CARE RECONCILIATION; CAREGIVER PUBLIC EMPLOYEES; INSTITUTIONAL CARE POLICIES; EQUITY.
THIS DISSERTATION AIMED TO UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEES OF THE JUDICIARY OF THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CARING FOR PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF WORK–CARE RECONCILIATION, IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL CARE POLICIES. THE RESEARCH HAS AN APPLIED, EXPLORATORY, AND DESCRIPTIVE NATURE, ADOPTING A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH. DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH A SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED VIA THE GOOGLE FORMS PLATFORM, COMPOSED OF CLOSED, SEMI-OPEN, AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION AND TOTALED 20 RESPONDENTS, ONE OF WHOM WAS CONSIDERED AN OUTLIER FOR NOT BELONGING TO THE TARGET POPULATION OF THE STUDY. DUE TO THE LIMITED NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE TREATED DESCRIPTIVELY, WITHOUT THE INTENTION OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE, AND WERE ARTICULATED WITH THE QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEMI-OPEN AND OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES, SUBMITTED TO BARDIN’S CONTENT ANALYSIS.THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT VARIABLES RELATED TO WELL-BEING—SUCH AS EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD, PHYSICAL FATIGUE, STRESS, DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING SELF-CARE, AND THE ACCUMULATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES AFFECTING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH—CONSTITUTE RECURRING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH RECONCILING WORK AND CAREGIVING. IT WAS ALSO OBSERVED THAT CAREGIVING DEMANDS MAY INTERFERE, TO VARYING DEGREES, WITH PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE, RELATING TO DIFFICULTIES IN CONCENTRATION, LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE TO MEET PROFESSIONAL DEADLINES, AND IMPACTS ON PRODUCTIVITY. THE ANALYSIS OF SEMI- OPEN AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS REVEALED PARTICIPANTS’ PERCEPTIONS REGARDING THE CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS FOR STRENGTHENED INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT, HIGHLIGHTING THE RELEVANCE OF INITIATIVES AIMED AT WORK FLEXIBILITY, THE EXPANSION OF SUPPORT POLICIES, AND THE PROMOTION OF AWARENESS AND RECOGNITION OF CAREGIVING-RELATED DEMANDS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.