Workers' access to support networks in the COVID-19 pandemic

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are multifaceted and directly affect work organization. During this period, we observed an intensification of trends such as emphasizing unattainable goals, invading time and space beyond work boundaries, and forcing adaptation to the virtual world. These changes have substantially increased demands on workers, a situation further exacerbated by the pandemic's effects on public health services. This, in turn, intensifies the challenging scenario for sick workers. In this context, our goal was to investigate sick workers' access to support networks during the pandemic. To this end, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight sick workers ranging in age from 25 to 55, with professional experience spanning from three to 35 years. These participants were identified using a snowball sampling strategy. Participants were included based on their voluntary disclosure of illness and willingness to participate in interviews conducted via videoconference on an online platform. The following axes of analysis were addressed: life stories and the illness process, and the mobilization of networks during the pandemic and its impacts. The data were subjected to thematic analysis, resulting in the identification of three content categories: (1) support networks as a line of care for workers' health and the instances mobilized during the pandemic, (2) the organization of work as a space of fragility and threads that do not comprise networks, and (3) the transition from individualism in work to loneliness due to social distancing. In conclusion, during the pandemic, companies intensified work processes, thereby worsening their workers' health. Furthermore, care networks enabled the construction and strengthening of social relationships during this period.