The Work Overload of Teaching and Research Laboratory Professionals in a Public University: Perceptions and Challenges

Objective: This research aimed to understand the perceptions of teaching and research laboratory workers at a public university regarding their work overload. Theoretical Framework: The main theoretical frameworks of the research were: Ferreira (2008), who addresses the concept of dynamic interaction between the individual and working conditions; Brito (1991); Ferreira and Marcellin (1983), the controversies and inaccuracies of the term workload; Laurell and Noriega (1989), the constant efforts of the worker in the labor situation, aiming at adaptation and regulation, in the distance between the prescribed and the actual work; and Zochio (2009), Sangioni (2013) and Bernardo (2014), occupational risk management in laboratories. Method: This research consists of field exploration with laboratory professionals, through direct observations and semi-structured interviews, prepared based on the Work Context Assessment Scale (Mendes; Ferreira, 2007). Results and Discussion: The results showed that the many laws regulating the work of professionals in the laboratories studied, although important resources for the tasks, when carried out with excessive detail and/or frequently changed, lead to work overload. Research Implications: It is believed that the research results can influence the practices adopted by laboratory professionals, supporting them in improving their prescribed and actual work processes to reduce the work overload of these professionals. Originality/Value: This research contributed to studies in the field of activity ergonomics aimed at professionals in teaching and research laboratories at public universities.