Working conditions at home during the pandemic: an analysis of collective subject discourse of workers in the travel agency sector

Silva, Ivan Conceição Martins da; Silva, Marina Hastenreiter; Santos, Mayra Laborda

Ivan Conceição Martins da Silva E-mail: ivanmartins@id.uff.br

Research design

Literature review

Data analysis

Discussion

Researcher linked (by CAPES) to the research group "Tourism: Management and Territories (TGTur)" at Federal University of Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.

Ivan Conceição Martins da Silva He holds a Master’s degree in Tourism from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and a Bachelor in Tourism from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). He is a member of the Research Group Tourism, Management and Territories (UFF) and of the Research Group on Public Tourism Policies, at the University of Brasília (UnB). His areas of interest include public policies; professional qualification; tourism education; tourism and work; scientific methodology; and tourism epistemology.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3353-3463

Marina Hastenreiter Silva E-mail: marinahs@id.uff.br

Research design

Literature review

Data collection

Rural Federal University Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Marina Hastenreiter Silva She holds a Master’s degree in Tourism by the Graduate Program in Tourism from the Fluminense Federal University (PPGTUR-UFF). She specializes in Tourism, Environment and Business at the University Estácio de Sá (UNESA) and graduates in Tourism at the UniverCidade. She is a member of the Research Group Tourism, Labor and Territory (UFF) and the Research Group on Social Studies in Hospitality and Leisure (UFRRJ). Her main research interests include tourism, tourism and territory, urban tourism, and working conditions in the tourism sector.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2024-7265

Mayra Laborda Santos E-mail: mayra_laborda@id.uff.br

Research design

Literature review

Discussion

Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Amazonian Culture (Neicam), Manaus, AM, Brazil.

Mayra Laborda Santos She holds a Master’s degree in Tourism by the Graduate Program in Tourism from the Fluminense Federal University (PPGTUR-UFF). She is a member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Amazonian Culture (Neicam) and the Research Group Tourism in Times of Pandemic. Her main research interests include tourism in the Amazon; tourism in protected areas; working conditions in tourism

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0286-8378

Ivan Conceição Martins da Silva

He holds a Master’s degree in Tourism from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and a Bachelor in Tourism from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). He is a member of the Research Group Tourism, Management and Territories (UFF) and of the Research Group on Public Tourism Policies, at the University of Brasília (UnB). His areas of interest include public policies; professional qualification; tourism education; tourism and work; scientific methodology; and tourism epistemology.

E-mail: ivanmartins@id.uff.br

Marina Hastenreiter Silva

She holds a Master’s degree in Tourism by the Graduate Program in Tourism from the Fluminense Federal University (PPGTUR-UFF). She specializes in Tourism, Environment and Business at the University Estácio de Sá (UNESA) and graduates in Tourism at the UniverCidade. She is a member of the Research Group Tourism, Labor and Territory (UFF) and the Research Group on Social Studies in Hospitality and Leisure (UFRRJ). Her main research interests include tourism, tourism and territory, urban tourism, and working conditions in the tourism sector.

E-mail: marinahs@id.uff.br

Mayra Laborda Santos

She holds a Master’s degree in Tourism by the Graduate Program in Tourism from the Fluminense Federal University (PPGTUR-UFF). She is a member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Amazonian Culture (Neicam) and the Research Group Tourism in Times of Pandemic. Her main research interests include tourism in the Amazon; tourism in protected areas; working conditions in tourism

E-mail: mayra_laborda@id.uff.br

Editor:

Glauber Eduardo de Oliveira Santos.

PROCEDURES	DESCRIPTION
Search for interlocutors	Use of the Snowball technique (Vinuto, 2014Vinuto, J. (2014). A amostragem em bola de neve na pesquisa qualitativa: um debate em aberto. Temáticas, 44 (22), 203-220. https://doi.org/10.20396/temáticas.v22i44.10977. https://doi.org/10.20396/temáticas.v22i4... ).
Selection of respondents	Criteria: a) a minimum of three years of employment in companies of the travel agency sector; b) is currently working at home for one of these companies during the pandemic; c) companies are based in Rio de Janeiro.
Elaborating the questions	Based in the premise of collective subject discourse for data collection and systematization.
Virtual interviews	Use of a semi-structured script consisting of open-ended questions

PROCEDURES	DESCRIPTION
Obtaining the answers	Interviews and transcriptions
Curtailing the discourse through key expressions	Selection of meaningful verbal content
Finding meaning through Central Ideas (CI) and Anchorages (AC)	The CIs are pieces of information present in each answer and in a group of answers from separate individuals that show complementary or similar meaning. The ACs are formulas that describe ideologies, values, beliefs, present in either single or grouped answers and read as general linguistic marks. All answers have CI, yet some are supported in AC
Categorization process	Happens by way of induction through synthesis of similar elements present in the respective answers' CIs and ACs
Elaborating the CSD	Key expressions whose CIs and/or ACs have been grouped in a single category

PROCEDURES	DESCRIPTION
Selection of the analysis corpus.	Using the third stage's CSD.
Definition of the theoretical analysis device	Composed by the theoretical reference built for this research, present in section 2.
Text search for the meanings listed in the theoretical device	Discourse sequences are highlighted (text excerpts with discourse present).
Inferring the formal marks in the highlighted sequences	Formal marks are excerpts infused with meaning by the discourse inside the own text. Those were inferred by observing the text and its patterns.
Inferring the discursive properties in these marks	Discursive properties are meanings attached to the marks that organize discourse. Those were inferred by observing meanings that formal marks have in common.
Understanding Discourse Formation (DF)	The DF corresponds to flowing discourse, when taken into consideration that discourse does not have a well-defined limit (neither beginning nor end, or a clear distinction separating it from other discourses). Through dialogic principles, a search for contradictory and complementary discourse formations about working conditions was made.
Understanding Ideological Formations (IF) that rule the identified discourse formations	The IF is the, also flowing, ideology that governs discourse. The reduction of discourses into ideologies were made following recursive and holographic principles.
Discourse Analysis	Confronting the functions of contrary discourses through the point of view of the complexity principles.

CATEGORY	DISCOURSE SEQUENCES
Reduction of the workday	The workday did not stay the same, it's shorter. The company adopted the Government plans to preserve jobs, so we work in a smaller time schedule.
No reduction of the workday	My workday hasn't changed. The schedule within which we're available is the same.
No right to disconnect	So, I need to stay available even after working hours for office related functions. In the office, when the shift was over, I would close and leave.

CATEGORY	DISCOURSE SEQUENCES
Loss of physical contact	I miss my people, I miss being close to my co-workers, even the playfulness. I miss it so much! This personal connection is very important, especially if you work with in-store sales, the face-to-face, selling on the spot, solving problems on the spot.
A 'toxic' work environment	Our work environment is a little bit toxic, so I think no one misses the place.
Losing sight of the teleworker's space and time boundaries	Another thing, when you're in the office, you stress about work at work. But at home, work related stress ends up stressing you at home, something that doesn't have anything to do with your house. So, you end up bringing your work problems home.

CATEGORY	DISCOURSE SEQUENCES
Use of tools and technology resources	Good Internet! In terms of tools, we mainly use computers and cellphones. And in these, these programs: WhatsApp, e-mail, Zoom, Google Meeting, and the like. Also, the company's system, the reservation systems. The cellphone is an important tool.
The company has provided us with equipment and tools	The day they sent us home we brought the computer. We had to adapt the machines so we could use the systems from home.
The company has partly provided us with equipment and tools	The only thing the company provided was the laptop.

CATEGORY	DISCOURSE SEQUENCES
Reduction of labor rights	Everything was cut in half, benefits, meal vouchers. So, all labor rights were cut in half. I only get my wage. They don't deposit my severance money, the whole meal vouchers, only partial. And the government doesn't cover these vouchers, so I'm in a bad situation because I didn't stop working, I don't eat 30% of what I used to.
Adapting rights	I don't feel like I lost rights, I feel like they were adapted

CATEGORY	DISCOURSE SEQUENCES
35% salary loss	Without my commissions my income dropped about 35%.
50% salary loss	The people that stayed suffered a 50% salary reduction; it was a very big difference. We cut every spending we could at home to fit inside a 50% pay.
75% salary loss	Everyone whose work depend on commissions was heavily affected. We had a sales loss on the magnitude of 75% total.

TOPIC	CATEGORY	DISCOURSE SEQUENCES
Workday	Unofficially, there is no reduction	But unofficially we always have to be available. There is no “lunch break”. If someone calls you at one o'clock and you're having lunch, it doesn't matter, you put away your food and pick up.
Environment	Lack of space and adequate work equipment	Having to improvise a room into an office and finding a quiet spot wasn't very easy. I really don't have enough space at home to work the way I like to; in the same conditions I have in the office. I had to adapt a part of my home that wasn't meant for that.
Rights	A great loss in labor rights	Actually, you lose all your rights. A huge loss! It's what they say that counts and if you want to keep your job you have to nod and say amen

[1] Ivan Conceição Martins da Silva

He holds a Master’s degree in Tourism from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and a Bachelor in Tourism from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). He is a member of the Research Group Tourism, Management and Territories (UFF) and of the Research Group on Public Tourism Policies, at the University of Brasília (UnB). His areas of interest include public policies; professional qualification; tourism education; tourism and work; scientific methodology; and tourism epistemology.

TOPIC	CATEGORY	DISCOURSE SEQUENCES
Workday	Excessive workday as a standard	If you call me on a Sunday, I'll answer the phone the same way. If I were working at home today without the pandemic, it would be the same as an office.
Environment	Well-being at home	I love my home, I feel good here! I organized my space for this, only for work.
Resources	The company didn't provide equipment	The computer is personal, the phone is personal. This WhatsApp number is my private one
Rights	Wasn't affected	In principle nothing, for the time being our work wasn't affected because the company is doing what it can so we get to keep our rights. I'm getting paid as usual, everything in order. I can't complain.
Compensation	Conformity	There was no difference. If we don't sell, there's a reduction in the final budget

Brasil

Brasil

Working conditions at home during the pandemic: an analysis of collective subject discourse of workers in the travel agency sector

Abstract