ABSTRACT Social exclusion at work – the denial of social connections in the work domain – is a driver of poor performance and well-being for employees. Answering calls to better understand the antecedents of employee mental health, we propose suicidal ideation as an extreme but critically important outcome of social exclusion at work. We test a framework that integrates the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide and psychache theory of suicide, while differentiating between passive isolation and active ostracism. We hypothesise that passive isolation and active ostracism relate to suicidal ideation via the mediators of thwarted interpersonal needs (representing the social pain pathway) and perceived job insecurity (representing the psychological pain pathway). Across two studies, we find support for the mediating effect of thwarted interpersonal needs and partial support for the mediating effect of perceived job insecurity at the between-person level; however, the results do not support our hypotheses at the within-person level over a daily or monthly timeframe. Our results demonstrate that the integrative framework is useful for understanding the effect of workplace interactions on suicidal ideation, and they indicate that suicidal ideation stems from chronic exclusion rather than relatively short-term upticks. We conclude with insights to encourage the study of suicidal ideation in organisational research.

ABSTRACT At workplaces, people encounter multiple stressors, necessitating resilient responses. Digital resilience interventions – delivered via websites or smartphones – represent a promising measure to empower people at their workplaces, but their potential has not been extensively investigated yet. We searched five databases for randomised-controlled trials of digital resilience interventions in working populations, identifying 34 studies comprising 5,318 individuals. Meta-analyses found small beneficial effects at post-intervention for work engagement (SMD = 0.25, [0.15, 0.34]), mental distress (SMD = –0.27, 95% CI [–0.40, –0.14]), and positive mental health (SMD = 0.25, [0.15, 0.36]; all p < .001), while effects on burnout were small and non-significant (SMD = –0.25, [–0.59, 0.09], p = .142). At follow-up, favourable effects partly diminished over time, with positive mental health and mental distress remaining significant, and work engagement showing a small, non-significant trend (p = .070). We suggest that sustainable improvements in work-related outcomes (e.g. work engagement and burnout) in working populations may require combining individual-centered and structural prevention. Notably, most studies included assessed general rather than work-related outcomes, resulting in low power for some analyses and highlighting an important research gap.

ABSTRACT The topic of workaholism has stimulated many publications on its prevalence, personality predictors, and cultural invariance. Unfortunately, concomitant with the increase in publications, the number of workaholism measures has increased dramatically, limiting between-study comparisons. Therefore, this pre-registered study aims to provide an update and proposal on the conceptualisation and operationalisation of workaholism. For the workaholism operationalisation, we systematically searched for all published workaholism and work addiction measures and their items. We processed the identified measures using an algorithm to select a subset of representative workaholism items, considering semantics and item quality. Furthermore, in a cross-sectional online study, we administered 84 selected items to 462 working participants. Then, we used a second algorithm to select 28 items characterised by good convergent and discriminant validity. A factor analysis of this subset yielded a three-factor solution comprising Work-Life Tension, Work Overinvestment, and Work Overdependency. Lastly, we selected five of the least tautological items for each factor based on semantic similarity and correlations across items. Together, the 15 items formed the Core Workaholism Scale. Based on our findings, we operationalised workaholism, discussed previous theories, reflected on the data-driven approach, and the use of the Core Workaholism Scale in organisational and clinical research.

ABSTRACT A healthy workforce is beneficial to both employee and employer, however there can be barriers to engaging in healthy behaviours when working related to the psychosocial work environment (PWE). The aim of this review is to identify PWE factors associated with occupational physical activity and sitting. On 20/12/2023, a systematic search was conducted across seven databases and Google. Eligible studies explored the relationship of PWE with physical activity (including active commuting, e.g. cycling to work), standing, or sitting. Meta-analyses were conducted when there were n ≥ 3 studies per comparison. Design-specific measures assessed study quality. Fifty-one studies were eligible (92,106 participants), across cross-sectional (n = 40), longitudinal (n = 4) and intervention (n = 7) designs. Meta-analyses demonstrated beneficial associations of manager support, colleague support and perceived behavioural control with less sitting time (12–14 min/8-hour workday). Positive social norms were associated with more activity and less sitting. The remaining associations had mixed findings, dependent on job type and study design. Study quality was mostly moderate. In conclusion, workplace support, norms and perceived behavioural control can impact activity and/or sitting during work. More research is needed for other PWE factors (e.g. job demands/strain). Findings will inform how these factors may enable or interfere with healthy behaviours at work.

ABSTRACT Workaholism is a distinct form of heavy work investment characterised by a compulsive drive to work excessively. While its consequences for health and well-being are well documented, less is known about how it emerges on a daily basis. Drawing on whole trait theory and trait activation theory, this study examines the day-level production of state workaholism. We propose that anticipated morning workload acts as a trait-relevant situational cue that triggers compulsive overwork during the same day, thereby increasing daily workaholism. We further hypothesise that this effect is stronger for individuals with higher trait workaholism and for those embedded in an organisational climate that promotes overwork, with both factors amplifying the impact of anticipated workload. A multilevel analysis of 583 daily observations from 126 employees participating in a two-week diary study provided consistent support for these hypotheses. The findings highlight the importance of addressing organisational norms that valorise overwork and monitoring employees' daily workload. Interventions focused on mitigating excessive work culture and offering secondary stress-prevention strategies, such as time-management training, may help reduce the daily experience of workaholism.

ABSTRACT The Covid-19 pandemic catalyzed a global shift toward work-from-home (WFH) arrangements, disrupting traditional employment structures and establishing a “new normal” in workplace relations. As the immediate crisis subsided, organisations and employees entered a transitional phase marked by renegotiation of expectations, practices, and power dynamics. This study applies a data mining methodology to analyze thousands of publicly available tweets from X (formerly Twitter), published between November 2022 and March 2023, with the onset of pandemic de-escalation. These tweets offer a real-time, user-generated perspective on how WFH is experienced and interpreted by employees. Through inductive thematic analysis, the findings reveal escalating tensions between managerial skepticism – manifested in increased surveillance and renewed office mandates – and employee demands for autonomy and sustained flexibility. WFH is increasingly perceived not as a temporary accommodation but as a core employment condition, deeply intertwined with workers’ professional identities and personal lives. The discourse signals a need for managerial transformation: shifting from input-based supervision to output-oriented evaluation, and from micromanagement to trust-based leadership. Drawing on principles from occupational health psychology, the study highlights the importance of adaptive management strategies that foster employee well-being and performance in distributed work environments.

ABSTRACT Under the happy-productive worker hypothesis, organisations invest significant resources in employee well-being with the expectation of organisational benefits. However, more evidence is needed to understand the extent wellness interventions generate mutual gains for both well-being and work outcomes. This review combines systematic and realist approaches to examine 154 individual-level wellness intervention studies and the contextual factors that enable – or limit – their success. Drawing from management training literature, we apply Holton’s model of learning transfer, which emphasises the role of individual and contextual factors in shaping transfer motivation, transfer design, and the transfer climate. We find that wellness interventions consistently enhance employee well-being but do not reliably lead to improvements in workplace outcomes, such as performance. Our analysis identifies the programme mechanisms that support training transfer and contribute to mutual gains: transfer design is enabled when interventions have programme characteristics that reflect the work context; transfer motivation was bolstered when organisations gave thoughtful consideration of participants’ needs and engagement strategies; and transfer climate was enabled by factors like supervisor support and organisational culture that reinforced cultural fit. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, emphasising context-sensitive interventions that optimise wellness programmes for learning transfer to enable mutual gains.

ABSTRACT This paper presents the first longitudinal validation of the Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI). The research focussed on the Japanese version of the instrument and comprised two studies. Study 1 was cross-sectional (N = 1,540; 50.1% female); Study 2 involved a three-month follow-up (N = 716; 49.4% female). The ODI exhibited essential unidimensionality, scalability, total-score reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The instrument demonstrated full measurement invariance – from configural to strict – across sexes, age segments, and time points. In men, lack of job security and medication use at Time 1 were associated with occupational depression at Time 2. In women, work ability at Time 1 was protective against occupational depression at Time 2. In both sexes, occupational depression at baseline predicted greater emotional labour and impaired work ability at follow-up. Occupational depression was more stable in women than in men. These findings support the criterion validity of the ODI, including its predictive validity. Overall, the ODI displayed excellent psychometric and structural properties and appears well-suited for assessing and addressing job-related distress in Japan. Through its longitudinal design, this study marks a step towards mapping the nomological network of occupational depression.

ABSTRACT Illegitimate tasks – those perceived as unnecessary or unreasonable – are a common source of workplace strain. Although prior research has established a robust link between illegitimate tasks and emotional exhaustion, it has largely treated such tasks as static or isolated events, overlooking their dynamic nature. This study investigates how fluctuations in illegitimate tasks – both increases and decreases – affect employee well-being relative to a stable level of such tasks. Drawing on a cognitive resource perspective, we assume that previous experiences act as critical reference points, shaping how employees perceive and react to current tasks. Across two studies using (daily and weekly) experience sampling methodology, we examine how changes in illegitimate tasks over time influence emotional exhaustion and whether this relationship is mediated by uncertainty. Our results indicate that, compared to constant levels, changes in illegitimate tasks – even decreases – lead to increases in emotional exhaustion. This underscores that less is not always better. Additionally, our findings demonstrate that uncertainty mediates the relationship between illegitimate tasks and emotional exhaustion, underscoring the cognitive costs associated with these tasks. By adopting a dynamic perspective, this study advances the understanding of illegitimate tasks and offers practical insights for organisations, particularly regarding communication strategies to reduce uncertainty and mitigate long-term effects such as burnout.

ABSTRACT Workplace sexual harassment (WSH) is a prevalent psychosocial hazard that harms workers and organisations. Addressing WSH effectively requires understanding of not only when it occurs, but also the mental and emotional factors influencing decisions to report it. While research has largely focused on external barriers to reporting, such as fear of retaliation, less is known about how environmental threats become internalised – shaping perceptions of safety, support, and dignity. This gap risks interventions that overlook victims and witnesses’ struggles, perpetuating silence and undermining safety. Accordingly, our study employed a qualitative triangulation approach to identify the primary internal factors that hinder employees from reporting WSH. Drawing on the perspectives of targets and witnesses (i.e. n = 203 survey respondents, n = 7 interviews) and subject matter experts (n = 7 interviews) and using reflexive thematic analysis, we propose a framework grounded in basic psychological need fulfilment and cognitive appraisals of legitimacy, risk-reward balance, and system efficacy. These findings highlight how WSH reporting is driven by internal unmet psychological needs, underscoring the importance of approaches that restore victims’ autonomy, competence, and connection. Future research should explore how such models can reshape organisational responses and promote safer reporting climates.