El acoso laboral como factor de riesgo psicosocial en una empresa pública del cantón Daule.

Abstract

Workplace harassment represents a critical psychosocial risk in public sector companies, where administrative or supervisory rigidity and the lack of effective protection protocols foster hegemonic power dynamics that impact the mental health of employees, leading to chronic stress, low self-esteem, and forced turnover (Mayra, 2020). This analysis adopted a mixed-methods approach. The sample consisted of 50 employees surveyed and 6 participants from the Human Resources Department who were interviewed semi-structured. Both samples were selected using convenience sampling. The survey results revealed that threats of dismissal have created a vicious cycle of fear, negatively impacting the job performance of employees, especially women. Regarding the interview results, another statistic emerged: 17% of female employees have been denied access to training and advancement opportunities. This reveals the true magnitude of the structural psychosocial risk, which is relevant to the concept of the glass ceiling. Within the company, although training and promotion opportunities are offered, perceived favoritism presents an obstacle to career advancement.