O trabalho de Assistentes Sociais no Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social em tempos de “INSS Digital”

Abstract

This study investigates the implications of the transformations that occurred after the implementation of “INSS Digital” for the work performed by social workers at the Social Security Agencies (APS) of the Executive Management of Salvador-BA (GEXSAL), within the National Institute of Social Security (INSS). Although recent structural changes within the Institute cannot be attributed exclusively to “INSS Digital,” they have resulted in a new paradigm for access to social rights and work execution, in which digitalization and informatization of processes play a central role. The implementation of “INSS Digital” is considered a historical milestone that defines the research object without reducing the complexity of the involved processes or the social impacts of the socio-historical context in which this new paradigm emerges. In the current capitalist scenario, where the labor market has undergone significant changes, increasingly incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of these technologies in work dynamics, driving digitalization and remote work processes globally. Consequently, it has become crucial to understand how institutional dynamics adapt to constantly changing macroeconomic structures and the impacts of this new reality on professionals and users. Based on a qualitative and exploratory research approach that combines empirical research and bibliographic review, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Social Security Analysts with degrees in Social Work who work as social workers in different APS units of GEXSAL. The results reveal significant challenges faced by social workers, ranging from work intensification to increased inequality in access to social rights. The digitalization of services has imposed new barriers on the population, shifting responsibilities onto users, who often lack the necessary resources to access their rights. Difficulties in accessing digital tools, combined with financial and technological resource shortages, have become nearly insurmountable obstacles, forcing part of the population to rely on paid services to secure their rights. Furthermore, the implementation of a point-based evaluation system and rigid performance targets has imposed an exhausting work pace, negatively impacting the physical and mental health of workers while also deteriorating service conditions. Given this scenario, the research findings contribute to the debate on the impacts of digitalization on professional work and the guarantee of rights, highlighting the need to rethink collective strategies to ensure social rights beyond institutional dimensions.