A study by IDOCAL researchers analyzes the mechanisms linking voluntary helping behaviors at work to employee well-being. The findings demonstrate that helping others boosts the helper's own positive affect by satisfying their psychological need for autonomy.

A new longitudinal study coauthored by IDOCAL members Vicente González-Romá, Inés Tomás and Ana Hernández suggests that helping others at work can improve your own well-being.

The researchers examined five possible mechanisms linking workplace prosociality to employee well-being: satisfaction of the need of relatedness, autonomy and competence, rumination, and work meaningfulness. Only one mechanism emerged as significant: satisfaction of the need for autonomy. Employees who engaged in more prosocial behaviors experienced a greater sense of choice and personal agency, which subsequently increased positive affect and reduced negative affect.

The findings highlight that prosocial actions benefit not only recipients but also those who provide help. By fostering opportunities for voluntary helping behaviors, organizations may promote employee well-being in a simple and cost-effective way. The study advances our understanding of why prosociality matters at work and identifies autonomy as a key psychological pathway connecting helping behaviors and well-being.

Bibliographic reference: Bogdanić, V., González-Romá, V., Tomás, I., Nübold, A., & Hernández, A. (2026). The Indirect Relationship between Prosociality in the Workplace and Employee Well-Being: Testing Multiple Mediators. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 29, e12, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1017/SJP.2026.10028