Redefining the rules: how optimal cyberloafing shapes the effects of workplace cyberbullying on employee well-being and retention

Purpose This study examines whether cyberloafing, traditionally viewed as deviant online behavior, can function as an adaptive coping mechanism that shapes the relationship between workplace cyberbullying (WCB), employee well-being, and intention to stay (IS). In response to inconsistent findings in prior research, the study clarifies the boundary between excessive cyberloafing and “optimal” cyberloafing (brief, low-intensity digital micro-breaks). The work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 by offering insights for safer and more supportive digital work environments. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a time-lagged research design, with a one-month interval between Time 1 and Time 2. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from 512 employees within India’s information technology sector. The statistical analysis was conducted utilizing IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0, Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) version 23.0, and Process Macro version 4.3. Findings Grounded in conservation of resources (COR) and Dysempowerment theories, results reaffirm that WCB significantly undermines employee well-being. However, cyberloafing moderated this relationship in a nuanced way: conditional indirect effects were significant only at low to moderate levels of cyberloafing. These patterns suggest that optimal cyberloafing may offer short psychological detachment that buffers resource loss, whereas excessive disengagement yields no such benefits. Direct effects of cyberbullying on IS remained non-significant. Practical implications The findings support the incorporation of structured digital micro-breaks, open communication, and workload-based management, rather than intrusive monitoring, as part of organizational well-being strategies. Such practices complement broader anti-bullying and hybrid-work policies. Social implications The study promotes responsible digital behavior and emphasizes the importance of digital micro-recovery for fostering healthier online and workplace interactions. Originality/value The study reconceptualizes cyberloafing by identifying its instances where it functions as a beneficial coping mechanism, providing a refined behavioral pathway within COR theory and advancing the understanding of digital coping in contemporary workplaces.