Governança do tempo de trabalho e equilíbrio trabalho-vida no Batalhão de Polícia de Choque (BPCHOQUE) da Polícia Militar do Paraná (PMPR): previsibilidade, prontidão e bem-estar ocupacional

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the influence of shift-schedule predictability and standby (prontidão) and on-call duty (sobreaviso) conditions, together with protected rest and organizational support, on work–life balance and occupational well-being among BPChoque/PMPR police officers. A staged design was adopted, combining: a systematization of international evidence; a characterization of recent Brazilian scientific production; and, a qualitative field study with unit members. In the field, 30 in-person interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo, employing lexical exploration and thematic coding guided by an integrative model. The results indicate that short notice and frequent schedule changes, combined with the possibility of activation while on standby or on call, convert part of free time into constrained time, thereby reducing family planning, rest, and leisure. Accounts link this scenario to lower perceived temporal control, impaired recovery (including sleep and psychological detachment from work), increased fatigue and stress, and an intensification of work-family conflict, with repercussions for overall well-being. It is concluded that minimum predictability, clear rules for standby and on-call duty, protected rest, and organizational support should operate in an integrated manner, with criteria and monitoring, to reduce avoidable variability (i.e., administrable instability) without aiming to eliminate unavoidable activations, expand recovery windows, and reconcile operational readiness with occupational health. As a next step, a pilot (quasiexperimental) implementation is recommended, tracking process indicators and wellbeing outcomes.