) Decent work involves high-quality employment that prioritizes freedom, equity,
security, and human dignity. The International Labour Organization (ILO) notes
that informality is a major challenge for quality employment in Latin America,
with 48% of workers in informal contracts and 37% in Brazil. Though informal
work lacks formal contracts, it remains a crucial source of employment for
many. How can we ensure decent work for these individuals, and what are their
perceptions of their employment? The primary objective of this presentation is
to characterize the perceptions of decent work among workers without formal
employment contracts through qualitative and quantitative studies. The first
study involved a qualitative content analysis of 30 interviews with informal and
self-employed workers. The results revealed multiple groups with diverse needs
and challenges. The second study was conducted with 9,594 psychologists
participating in a national survey, of whom 6,456 worked without a formal
contract. The Decent Work Questionnaire was adapted for this category of
work, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated good fit indicators
for the seven-factor model, each with three items (χ2 = 4936 (df = 168); TLI =
0.95; CFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.05). The findings indicate that decent work is
perceived positively in the dimensions of fundamental principles and values at
work, fulfilling and productive work, and health and safety. Conversely, the
dimensions of social protection and meaningful remuneration for the exercise of
citizenship were poorly evaluated, reflecting similarities with other workers.
However, when asked which aspects they value most about work, the meaning
of work ranked highest and social protection the lowest. These results
underscore the challenges in defining public policies that promote decent work
while addressing the demands of such heterogeneous groups.