Chapter 11: Well-Being at Work: The Perception of Public Employees

Work is inherent in human condition, being one of the three fundamental activities in the vita activa (Arendt, 2007). Changes in work impact the life of people and organizations, influencing their perception of well-being, defined as the scientific study of happiness (Diener, 1984). This study is a quantitative analysis designed to verify the perception at work in a sample of 389 employees who work at a public federal institution in Brasília, Federal District. The Well-Being at Work Scale (EBET [Escala de Bem-Estar no Trabalho]) was used and factorability according to Horn’s parallel analysis (PA) confirmed the existence of three factors. Exploratory factor analysis showed the fitness of the scale, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94 for positive affect; 0,93 for negative affect and 0.92 for the fulfillment factor. The factorability criteria established were factor loads > 0.35 and eigenvalues > 1. Variance analysis for positive affect, negative affect and fulfillment was significant (F = 241.580, gl 2, p < 0.001). Comparative analyses (t-test, correlations, and ANOVA) among the factors were significant for the variables length of employment, position, supervisory position, work leave and its causes. The survey showed a high perception of well-being at work among participants.