Formal leaders have long been recognized as shaping the work-home outcomes of organizational members. However, far less is known about leaders' own work-home outcomes and how these are shaped by their relational experiences at work. Drawing on the work-home resources model, we propose that transient leader loneliness has negative downstream effects on leaders' withdrawal behaviors both at work and at home, which in turn reinforce loneliness on subsequent days. Integrating boundary theory with the work-home resources model, we theorize that family identity salience functions as a stable resource that protects leaders from the cross-domain spillover of loneliness-induced withdrawal. Our hypotheses were supported by two empirical studies. Study 1, an experience sampling study with 174 U.K. managers (1,351 days, 4,053 data points), showed that daily loneliness predicted next-day loneliness via leadership withdrawal (i.e., task withdrawal, relational withdrawal from followers) and home withdrawal. Family identity salience thereby attenuated the spillover from leaders' work-related task withdrawal to home withdrawal. Study 2, a recall experiment (N = 185 U.K. managers), replicated the positive link between transient loneliness and leadership withdrawal. Moreover, findings did not support the notion of an adaptive function of transient loneliness; rather, loneliness was negatively associated with relational engagement. Overall, our findings highlight transient loneliness as a hidden but consequential barrier to effective leadership, while demonstrating that a salient nonwork identity can serve as a powerful resource to disrupt the cycle of leader loneliness across work and home. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Fluctuations in fatigue over the workweek are a central aspect of the recovery-from-work process that is needed to sustain employee well-being, health, and work functioning. Extant research provides insight into the average fatigue trajectories over a workweek but does not yet address the potential variation in fatigue change patterns that could describe different employee subgroups. This study uses a person-centered approach using latent class growth analysis to explore which fatigue trajectories exist. Specifically, this study draws on 16-day daily diary data from 297 employees to identify existing fatigue trajectories by considering morning and evening fatigue separately. Additionally, it investigates to what extent the identified trajectories may represent manifestations of burnout. The analyses consistently identify three trajectory classes for morning fatigue and evening fatigue that differentially relate to burnout dimensions. The trajectories are characterized by differing fatigue levels across weekdays and by variations in the extent to which recovery occurs over the weekend. These findings highlight the importance of person-centered approaches and differentiating morning and evening fatigue when exploring changes in fatigue over time. Finally, the findings highlight fatigue patterns with limited weekend recovery, which could represent a manifestation of burnout. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite the widespread use of stories in safety contexts, there has been limited research on the impact of stories in safety training. As such, this study explored the role of stories in the communication of safety information. Across two experimental studies, we explored whether narrative structure influenced safety-related intentions and knowledge acquisition. To do this, participants (Study 1: = 200; Study 2: = 150) were recruited via Prolific and randomly assigned to one of three video conditions and then asked to complete a survey and knowledge test afterward. In both studies, narrative transportation emerged as a key mechanism through which stories influenced safety intentions; however, there was no effect of story condition on knowledge test scores. While more research is needed to further elicit the components of effective safety narratives, these findings provide initial evidence that stories may be particularly helpful in influencing safety intentions, although their impact on actual knowledge transfer needs to be further explored. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Time is a critical factor that shapes stressor-outcome relationships. Despite its importance, few studies have directly investigated the role of time in stressor-outcome relationships. Based on the longitudinal data collected 10 times throughout a year from 101 full-time workers, we explored whether varying time lags influence stressor-outcome relationships and examined the unique dynamics of role stressors (role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload) and illegitimate tasks with two work outcomes (i.e., work engagement and turnover intention). We analyzed data using continuous time structural equation modeling, which informs the timing and duration of the theorized effects. The results revealed that beyond a certain point in time (e.g., approximately 2 months for work engagement), the stressor-outcome relationships did not substantially differ depending on varying time intervals and showed diluted effects over time. While the patterns over time were similar across stressor-outcome combinations, magnitudes of mean effects varied, aligning with thematic correspondence. When considered together, role ambiguity and role overload, but not illegitimate tasks, had a significant negative relationship with work engagement, whereas illegitimate tasks, but not role conflict and role ambiguity, had a significant positive relationship with turnover intention. Our study offers a more nuanced understanding of the role of time intervals in stressor-outcome relationships. Overall, our results suggest that the time interval alone does not sufficiently explain the varying magnitudes in stressor-outcome relationships and that the specific nature of variable dyads should also be considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

This study examined whether there are distinct trajectories of psychological detachment from work over the weekend and how these trajectories relate to fatigue, sleep impairment, and engagement at the start of the following week. It also examined weekly fluctuations in supplemental work and problem-solving conversations as potential predictors of different trajectories. A sample of 153 employees reported their daily levels of detachment at bedtime from Friday to Sunday across up to four weekends, yielding a total of 421 weekends. Supplemental work and problem-solving conversations were assessed on Fridays, while fatigue and sleep impairment were measured on Monday mornings, and engagement on Mondays after work. Latent class growth analysis identified three distinct trajectories of detachment: (a) increasing high detachment (49%), (b) increasing medium detachment (35%), and (c) consistent low detachment (16%). While weekly fluctuations in problem-solving conversations only distinguished between the increasing high and consistent low trajectories, employees' average levels in supplemental work and problem-solving conversations distinguished the increasing high trajectory from the other two trajectories. After weekends with an increasing medium detachment trajectory, engagement was higher than after weekends with an increasing high trajectory. Sleep impairment and fatigue did not differ between different trajectories. While the sample was predominantly female and highly educated, limiting generalizability, the study provides valuable insights into the temporal dynamics of psychological detachment from work that occur over weekends, underscoring the need for further research with more diverse samples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Many employees engage in work during their private time either by thinking and talking about it or performing work-related tasks. Such home-to-work transitions (HWT) are generally considered to disturb psychophysiological unwinding after work (i.e., recovery). In this study, we replicate and theoretically extend past research to foster our understanding of both psychological and physiological recovery manifestations. Particularly, we focused on three aspects of HWT-their frequency, type, and appraisal (i.e., positive or negative for work and family domains). We used an experience sampling design with 89 participants across 7 days (i.e., weekday and weekend) during which we measured daily episodes of HWT via a qualitative approach, subjective daily measures of end-of-day fatigue and next-day restfulness, as well as nocturnal heart rate variability as a physiological recovery indicator. As expected, the number of daily HWT was positively associated with end-of-day fatigue. Additionally, we found that the daily relationships between HWT and heart rate variability were also positive, which is contrary to expectations, but consistent with past research. Both the type and appraisal of HWT were also associated with recovery indicators. Work-related activities at home and the positive appraisal of HWT for work were positively associated with heart rate variability. In general, we were able to replicate past work on the associations between HWT and psychological recovery indicators and provide new insights into physiological aspects. The contradictory, yet consistent, association with previous work on physiological recovery is noteworthy and can help revise recovery theories, especially by challenging the universally assumed recovery-preventive role of HWT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

During COVID-19, participating in video meetings was associated with exhaustion, a phenomenon termed "Zoom fatigue." Different explanations were suggested for this phenomenon. Video meetings may be exhausting because they (a) gained a symbolic meaning during the pandemic, (b) are cognitively demanding, or (c) are understimulating, leading to "passive fatigue." Characterizing video meetings as "fatiguing" might have critical implications for hybrid work policy. Therefore, we must ask whether video meetings are exhausting post-COVID-19. In 2024, we constructively replicated an experience sampling study about "Zoom fatigue" during the pandemic. Although the meaning of video meetings might have changed, considering the current state of the literature, we hypothesized that "Zoom fatigue" still exists. We conducted a 10-day experience sampling study with four daily measurement points. Results from a three-level analysis ( = 125, = 590, = 945) showed that video meetings are unrelated to exhaustion or passive fatigue. Active participation in the meeting and multitasking were not significant moderators. Video meetings shorter than 44 min were less exhausting than other meetings, suggesting potential advantages of video meetings. More boring video meetings were slightly more exhausting. Our results highlight the importance of constructively replicating research findings in different historical settings. They support the view that video meetings gained a symbolic meaning during the pandemic, which may have changed afterward. We also suggest that people might have gotten used to video meetings, leading to "no-Zoom fatigue." Our results open avenues for future studies and have important practical implications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Sickness presence-working while being ill-is an episodic goal-directed behavior that depends on health events. Drawing on allostatic load theory, we adopt a temporal perspective to study associations between sickness presence and fatigue both across weeks and within weeks. We theorize that sickness presence episodes are associated with immediate increases in fatigue and that accumulating sickness presence episodes increase within-person fatigue over multiple workweeks. We further examine short-term temporal cycles underlying these long-term trajectories, namely workweek strain and weekend recovery. We expect that the duration of sickness presence episodes is associated with steeper increases in fatigue within person during the workweek and altered patterns of change within person during the weekend. We test our assumptions with a week-level study with 123 employees over 16 consecutive workweeks. Participants reported sickness presence episodes during the week on Fridays and fatigue on Fridays and Mondays. Discontinuous growth models based on 734 weekly self-reports suggest that sickness presence episodes are associated with immediate increases in fatigue and hardly any recovery in the following weeks. Frequent sickness presence episodes contributed to increases in fatigue over time. Longer sickness presence episodes were associated with higher initial levels of fatigue on Mondays and no change in fatigue during the workweek. The duration of sickness presence was unrelated to changes in fatigue during weekends. In summary, our study provides a more precise description of how between-person differences in fatigue, as reported in the literature, may emerge from discrete sickness presence episodes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

The purpose of this study is to develop a Climate (TWH-c) Scale, addressing workers' perceptions of the relative priority of safety, physical health, and mental well-being in their organizations. It aims to fill a notable gap in (TWH) literature: the absence of a validated scale assessing TWH perceptions in the workplace. Building upon the theory of organizational climate (Beus et al., 2023), two novel physical health and mental well-being subclimate scales were developed and joined with a validated safety climate scale to create an overall TWH-c Scale. This method includes four phases. First, items were generated based on literature review, cognitive interviews with job incumbents, and evaluations of subject matter experts. Second, factor analyses were conducted on three separate samples. Third, shared perceptions across units were tested to examine physical health climate and mental well-being climate as shared subclimates. Last, criterion-related validity was assessed through regression analyses. The resulting scale includes 40 items (16 safety climate items, 14 physical health climate items, and 10 mental well-being climate items) and provides scores for each subclimate and an overall TWH-c. Each subclimate was significantly related to important outcomes within its domain at the individual, unit, and organization levels. The overall TWH-c score was also linked to these outcomes in addition to unique job-related outcomes at all levels. This study provides the first psychometrically validated tool for measuring organizational TWH-c, an efficient method to assess TWH as a holistic climate. Further implications are discussed regarding its use and expansion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite widespread interest in coworker support, the scales typically used to measure the construct fail to capture its multifaceted nature. Answering calls from previous research (Jolly et al., 2021), the purpose of this research was to develop a Multidimensional Coworker Support Scale (MCSS) with strong psychometric properties. Based on previous research and theory, the MCSS is designed to capture the form (available vs. received), type (emotional vs. instrumental), and helpfulness (helpful vs. unhelpful) of coworker support. Spector's (1992) five-stage process was followed to create and evaluate the MCSS: (a) define construct, (b) design scale, (c) pilot test, (d) administration and item analysis, and (e) validation and norming. These stages ( = 1,695) resulted in a 32-item, eight-dimensional scale with four items per subscale, which has strong evidence of reliability and validity. Providing evidence of content validity, subject matter experts sorted the items into their respective factors with high agreement. The factors are generally related to other measures as expected, providing convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity evidence. The MCSS generally explained additional variance in outcome measures over and above previous measures of coworker support. The eight-factor structure of the MCSS replicated and fit the data significantly better than seven alternative models across six samples of employees. The MCSS also generally had strong measurement consistency over 2 weeks. These findings have important implications for theory and practice, offering a robust tool that enables more precise measurement of coworker support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Drawing from the affect theory of social exchange (Lawler, 2001) and regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997, 2012), we theorized when and how challenge and hindrance stressors, representing favorable and unfavorable social exchanges between employees and the organization, respectively, relate to employee performance. In Study 1, we used a weekly experience sampling methodology to collect 12-week diary data from 107 North American workers. Results showed that "emotional uplifts"-upshifts in positive affect (PA) coupled with downshifts in negative affect (NA)-mediated the relationship between challenge stressors and task performance, whereas "emotional downs"-downshifts in PA coupled with upshifts in NA-mediated the relationship between hindrance stressors and task performance, but not the relationship between hindrance stressors and instigated incivility. In Study 2, we collected 3-week, twice-daily experience sampling methodology data from 78 Chinese employees, and our results replicated and expanded Study 1 findings. Further, we found that employees' state promotion focus strengthened the relationship between challenge stressors and PA upshift-NA downshift and the indirect relationships of challenge stressors with task performance and interpersonal helping via PA upshift-NA downshift. Our findings contribute to the understanding of employees' dynamic affect and behavioral regulation during daily and weekly encounters with work stressors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

In occupational health psychology, understanding working conditions has traditionally relied on two approaches: appraisal and structural. While both focus on stressors-differentiating between types (e.g., challenge vs. hindrance vs. threat) and examining their appraisals-the role of appraisal in understanding resources is underexplored. This study therefore investigates job autonomy, a key job resource, through both approaches. Among over 700 German employees who were recruited with the help of an online panel provider, we examined job autonomy and its appraisal as a resource, challenge, hindrance, or threat across four measurement waves spanning 2.5 years. We analyzed cross-sectionally how actual autonomy, combined with individuals' desired levels of autonomy, influenced their appraisals. We also explored longitudinally how both actual autonomy and its appraisals impacted work-related well-being, including job satisfaction, resignation, and cognitive and emotional irritation. Results revealed that higher autonomy was associated with more resource and challenge appraisals, whereas lower autonomy led to more hindrance and threat appraisals. This pattern was particularly evident when actual autonomy levels aligned with desired levels or if desired levels were high. Conversely, a mismatch between actual and desired autonomy reduced the perceived benefit of autonomy. Combining autonomy levels and appraisals enhanced the predictability of well-being outcomes over time, both at the between-person and the within-person level of analysis. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of integrating appraisal into structural approaches to understanding job resources and advocates for broader consideration of appraisal in future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

How organizations address employee mental health conditions (MHCs) is an increasingly important topic in occupational health psychology. A key focus of this literature is on understanding how and why employees disclose their MHCs to colleagues. Concealing a stigmatized identity, such as a MHC, can cause distress, while disclosure has been associated with improved well-being and access to proper accommodations. However, employees who disclose a MHC also risk discrimination and mistreatment. Given such competing dynamics, past research has largely framed disclosure through a concerted decision-making lens, where employees weigh the benefits and risks before revealing their condition. Yet the disclosure process can be more complex than these models suggest, with scholars recognizing that no "one-size fits all." To investigate this complexity, we conducted an in-depth narrative interview study with 27 employees living with a MHC. Our findings challenge the assumption that MHC disclosure is typically premeditated. We develop the concept of disclosure opportunities-situations that enable employees to share their MHC at work. We also identify four key elements of the work environment-time and space, bureaucratic structure, social structure, and mental health programs-that shape these opportunities. These elements can either facilitate or constrain disclosure, depending on how they interact. Using these insights, we propose an ecological model of MHC disclosure that complements and extends existing decision-based models, offering a more complex and nuanced understanding of how disclosure unfolds at work. We then explain how this model can inform the practice of occupational health psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Acceptance research in the organizational sciences has shown that practicing acceptance can reduce anxiety and enhance performance at work. Our research aims to deepen understanding of these effects by considering how and when acceptance influences work anxiety and performance. We integrate cognitive resource allocation theory with workplace mindfulness and acceptance research to develop a model in which acceptance lessens work anxiety and improves work performance via cognitive resource crafting. Further extending the model, we investigate chronic time pressure as a moderator dampening the positive effect of acceptance on cognitive resource crafting. Across four studies (Study 1: experiment; Study 2: 1-day between-person study; Study 3: 5-day experience-sampling study; Study 4: 10-day experimental experience-sampling study), we found support for our hypothesized model. We discuss theoretical and practical implications regarding how and when to effectively utilize acceptance to promote workplace well-being and performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Drawing on social information processing theory and signaling theory, this research investigates whether witnessing another employee being ostracized is associated with negative employee outcomes through organizational dehumanization and explores one boundary condition of these relationships (i.e., organizational intolerance of mistreatment). Study 1, a three-wave field study (N = 654), revealed that witnessed workplace ostracism (Time 1) positively relates to organizational dehumanization (Time 2) which, in turn, relates to employees' well-being (i.e., increased physical symptoms; Time 3), attitudes (i.e., decreased affective commitment; Time 3), and behavioral intentions toward the organization (i.e., increased turnover intentions; Time 3). Study 2, employing a 2 × 2 between-subjects design (N = 244), further demonstrated that witnessed workplace ostracism and organizational intolerance of mistreatment-which were manipulated with vignettes-respectively had a positive and a negative impact on organizational dehumanization, though their interactive effect on organizational dehumanization was not significant. Finally, a cross-sectional study (Study 3; N = 282) indicated that the positive relationship between witnessed workplace ostracism and organizational dehumanization was stronger when organizational intolerance of mistreatment was high. This interactive effect extended to observers' increased physical symptoms, decreased affective commitment, and increased turnover intentions. Theoretical contributions, directions for future research and practical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Worker experiences are influenced by natural bodily fluctuations, yet these effects are rarely acknowledged by research, organizations, or society. For example, most women experience their menstrual cycle for most of their career, yet the relationship between women's menstrual cycle and work outcomes has received limited attention from organizational scholars and decision-makers. In this study, we explore how menstruation indirectly affects women's perceived daily work performance as mediated by emotional and self-control and how menstrual pain moderates these relationships. Drawing on theories of human energy and biological evidence related to the menstrual cycle, we conceptualize menstruation as an internal, chronic, and intermittent stressor that depletes potential energy, thereby limiting women's ability to engage in emotional and self-control, which in turn affect work behaviors. Given menstrual pain varies between individuals and throughout cycles, we conceptualize menstrual pain as a distinct internal stressor that can further deplete internal resources, moderating the relationship between menstruation and work behaviors. Results across 108 participants, over 30 consecutive days, indicate that compared with nonmenstruating days, when menstruating, women perceive a decreased capacity to engage in emotional and self-control. This in turn affected perceptions of their task performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, and work withdrawal. Menstrual pain amplified the relationship between menstruation and performance through emotional control, but not through self-control. Our findings emphasize how bodily fluctuations, specifically through the lens of menstruation, impact performance and underscore the need for employees, organizations, and society to move beyond ignoring these fluctuations to instead integrate them into workplace practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Extended periods of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior at the workplace are major risk factors for employees' health and functioning. To mitigate these risks, workplace physical activity interventions (WPAIs) are commonly implemented within occupational health management to promote employees' physical activity. This meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of WPAIs in reducing mental and physical health complaints and in improving organizational outcomes, such as absenteeism, job satisfaction, and productivity. Drawing on the biopsychosocial model, we investigate the additional impact of mindfulness-based intervention components (mind-body interventions) and group-based interventions. A systematic literature search for longitudinal randomized controlled trials across six databases (Web of Science, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE/Pubmed, Embase, APA PsycInfo, and Science Direct) yielded K = 80 randomized controlled trials. Using between-group postintervention comparisons, Bayesian three-level random-effects meta-analytic structural equation modeling revealed small to moderate positive effects for WPAIs. WPAIs were effective in reducing mental health complaints (k = 40, N = 6,602, g = -0.56), physical health complaints (k = 51, N = 7,856, g = -0.38), and improving organizational outcomes (k = 30, N = 6,680, g = 0.30). Mind-body interventions demonstrated greater effectiveness in reducing mental and physical health complaints and in improving organizational outcomes compared to body-only interventions. Group-based WPAIs were associated with better adherence within studies examining health complaints. A dose-response relationship was observed in studies investigating physical health complaints and organizational outcomes, indicating that increased WPAI usage increases benefits. Potential bias arising from unaccounted baseline values and substantial heterogeneity demand careful interpretation of findings and warrant further investigation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Boundary theory posits boundary management tactics as specific behaviors. Yet, little is known about whether and why individuals use these tactics variably. Incorporating control theory and boundary theory, we conceptualized boundary management tactics intended to segment work from family (BMT) as dynamic, goal-directed behaviors adopted in response to a perceived work-family discrepancy (i.e., work-to-family conflict). Using 10-week weekly diary data (N = 247), we examined within-person variation in the use of multidimensional BMT to determine whether increased work-to-family conflict prompts greater future use of BMT and whether BMT subsequently relate to less work-to-family conflict. Aligned with theory, we found substantial within-person variability in BMT (31%). Physical, technological, and temporal tactics were used more often and in a relatively more routinized way than communication tactics. Results revealed that strain-based work-to-family conflict related to greater future use of temporal and physical tactics, with the strongest effect across a 1-week interval. Unexpectedly, overall BMT did not relate to later time- and strain-based work-to-family conflict, and temporal tactics related to more time-based work-to-family conflict in following weeks. This study offers more nuanced knowledge about the dynamic use of multidimensional BMT and lays a foundation for further research to advance a process-oriented understanding of work-family boundary management. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Occupational accidents, injuries, and illnesses remain critical challenges for organizations, particularly in extreme contexts where unusual or atypical events occur. While organizational responses to extreme events have been widely studied, there is less research on how individuals appraise and respond to such events. This leaves us with insufficient evidence on the microfoundations of extreme events, including differences in how individuals perceive the intensity or severity of such events, as well as the implications for safety performance. Drawing on affective events theory, we conducted two quasiexperiments to understand how three distinct levels of exposure to extreme events affect safety performance. In Study 1, data from 292 Iranian male firefighters reveal a significant reduction in safety performance among employees experiencing high, rather than medium and low, exposure to extreme events. This reduction is mediated by heightened negative emotions and lower work engagement. Study 2 replicates these findings with data from 315 Iranian male seafarers and further examines the moderating role of self-emotion appraisal. We find that individuals with strong self-emotion appraisal experience reduced negative emotions confronted with high exposure to extreme events. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Employees differ in their circadian preferences, which dictate the timing of activity and sleep during the day. Despite their relevance for daily fluctuations in energy and performance, research and practice indicate prevalent biases and misconceptions regarding circadian processes at work. Individuals seem to believe in the malleability of these circadian preferences, that earlier circadian preferences are associated with being an ideal worker, and that the morning is universally the best time for work. To systematically investigate this phenomenon, we introduce the concept of implicit theories on circadian processes at work (ITCP) to the literature and developed scales assessing three facets of ITCP: (a) the malleability facet, (b) the ideal worker facet, and (c) the time-of-day facet. Starting with construct and item development, we collected qualitative data from 141 employees (Study 1a) and quantitative data from 22 researchers (Study 1b). Next, we surveyed 1,249 participants (Studies 2-5) to establish the three-factor structure and excellent psychometric properties of the ITCP scales in both German and English. Additionally, we identified a range of personal predispositions associated with higher levels of ITCP (e.g., chronotype and workaholism) and, in turn, demonstrated that higher levels of ITCP are partly related to unfavorable individual outcomes. The findings particularly emphasize the undesirability of the ITCP ideal worker (for well-being and work-related outcomes) and the ITCP time-of-day (for sleep-related outcomes) facets. In conclusion, we hope to inspire research on circadian processes at work to finally reduce the lingering implicit theories surrounding these processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Recovery from work is important for promoting employees' well-being but little is known about which environments are most conducive for recovery. This article examines the relationship between recovery and experiencing nature and, thus, provides a link between recovery research and environmental psychology. In two studies, we drew on the effort-recovery model and proposed that contact with nature is associated with employees' recovery experiences and affective well-being. In Study 1, we theorized that appraising nature as esthetic is an underlying mechanism in the relationship between being in nature and recovery. Using an experience sampling approach with multisource data from self-reports and smartphone photos (N = 50, measurements = 411), we found that being in nature was indirectly related to recovery experiences (i.e., relaxation, detachment) and affective well-being (i.e., positive activation, serenity, low fatigue) via perceived attractiveness. In Study 2, we theorized that appreciative contact with nature (i.e., nature savoring) is linked to enhanced recovery and well-being. Using a randomized controlled trial (N = 66), we found that a nature-savoring intervention, compared to a waiting-list control group, had beneficial effects on recovery experiences and positive affective states. Overall, our results suggest that contact with nature is a prototypical setting for employees' recovery, and we discuss theoretical and practical implications of this finding for occupational health psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).