How does sustainable human resource management contribute to managerial well-being?

This study examines how sustainable human resource management (HRM) contributes to managerial well-being in the Estonian public sector, addressing the gap that HRM–well-being research remains largely employee-centric and provides limited insight into managers’ well- being under high demands. Using a mixed-method design, we combined a 2023 survey of 120 public-sector managers across four sectors (internal security, education, health care, and social services) with 11 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2024–2025. The framework integrates sustainable HRM with the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, psychosocial safety climate (PSC) model, and the dynamics of well-being perspective, capturing both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Results indicate substantial job demands (sustained concentration, time pressure, emotional demands, and overtime-related fatigue), yet relatively low stress symptoms and no gender differences in demand ratings. High demands were bal - anced by resources, corresponding with generally good mental well-being. Interviews showed that stress was pervasive but manageable through deliberate recovery practices and meaning- making tied to societal impact and accomplishment, underscoring the role of eudaimonic well- being, while hedonic restoration was mainly supported through off-job recovery. Overall, the findings suggest that sustainable HRM supports managerial well-being by strengthening job and organizational resources and fostering a psychosocially safer climate that legitimizes participation, support, and recovery, enabling sustainable performance under persistent demands.