El malestar en el trabajo con gafas violeta: significados sobre el ausentismo laboral por motivos de salud mental en funcionarias del poder judicial chileno

Abstract

In this article, we delve into the meanings of mental health leave among female judicial branch employees in Chile. Using a qualitative and critical approach, we explored the workers’ subjective experiences of discomfort in paid work and emphasize the importance of examining this phenomenon from a gender perspective. We argue that sick leave pertains not only to protecting physical health, but it is also a socially constructed instance of self-care and a refuge against power asymmetries and gender violence in workplace dynamics. Finally, we propose a critical approach to the conceptualization of biomedical and individual parameters of workplace wellbeing, thus fostering new narratives against depoliticization in a scenario of increasing psychiatrization of society.