Supervisor expectations for availability after-hours and employee harmonious passion: exploring curvilinear and moderated relationships

Purpose Supervisor expectations for after-hours availability (SEFAA) are increasingly shaping employee commitment, productivity and well-being. However, evidence on its impact remains mixed. Based on resource allocation theory and self-determination theory, this study aims to examine the curvilinear relationship between SEFAA and employee harmonious passion while also examining the moderating roles of family-supportive supervision and a forgiving organizational climate. Design/methodology/approach Using two time-lagged studies (Study 1: n = 261; Study 2: n = 251) conducted in China, we performed regression analyses and slope tests to examine the moderated curvilinear relationship between SEFAA and employee harmonious passion. Findings Our results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between SEFAA and employee harmonious passion. Furthermore, family-supportive supervision and perceived forgiveness climate moderate this curvilinear relationship. Specifically, low levels of family-supportive supervision and perceived forgiveness climate steepen this inverted U-curve. Practical implications Our findings suggest a curvilinear relationship, shifting the practical challenge from prohibiting SEFAA to cultivating its functional aspects while mitigating the dysfunctional ones. Moderate SEFAA can provide critical psychological resources – such as perceived trust and competence recognition – that foster harmonious passion. Conversely, excessive SEFAA depletes employee resources, impairs psychological detachment and leads to next-day exhaustion. Successfully navigating this balance requires a dual approach. The first is cultivating a forgiveness climate, which grants employees the psychological safety to disconnect without penalty. The second is practicing family-supportive supervision, where supervisors provide early support for work-family conflict and demonstrate understanding for non-immediate replies. This balanced approach helps ensure SEFAA is managed in a way that nurtures harmonious work passion, preventing the resource depletion that leads to exhaustion. Originality/value This study challenges commonly assumed linear relationships between SEFAA and employee outcomes and provides a plausible explanation for the inconsistent findings on the influence of SEFAA in previous studies.