Digital Workplace Well-being Initiatives: Exploring Intentions and Experiences

Abstract

Despite the accelerated digitalization of employee well-being in the post-pandemic era, an implementation gap remains between institutional strategy and subjective employee reality. This study utilizes a cross-sectoral, multi-methodological approach to examine how HR functions as a critical intermediary in navigating the tensions of the digital-human interface. Theoretically this dissertation reveals that while high e-HRM maturity and automation can significantly reduce burnout and enhance organizational trust, their success is often undermined by managerial myopia - a focus on narrow metrics over human context. A recurring well-being paradox is identified where employees participate in digital interventions not for personal growth, but as a strategic manoeuvre to protect social resources and organizational belonging. The study emphasizes that HR must move beyond being a mere provider of digital tools to becoming a Strategic Guardian of well-being. By fostering a culture of coworkership and workplace care, HR practitioners play a pivotal role in translating administrative data into tangible resource convoys that meet the actual needs of the workforce. The results suggest that reducing the implementation gap requires HR to advocate for well-being-by-design, ensuring that digital health tools prioritize user experience and reciprocal social exchange. This research contributes a new conceptual framework for Human-Centric Digital HRM, providing empirical evidence that the success of well-being initiatives is not a function of technological maturity alone, but of HR’s ability to synchronize management’s strategic intent with the employee’s experiential trajectory in a digitally prone world.