The restorative quality of work environments is increasingly recognised as a key resource for supporting employee well-being and performance. In this study, we investigated how perceived restorativeness at work influences technostress, health, and performance, and to what extent different forms of nature contact contribute to strengthening this perception.
A total of 691 Italian employees (59% office workers, 26% teachers, 15% manual workers) completed the Rest@Work Scale (R@WS), the Nature Contact Questionnaire (NCQ; outdoor, indirect, indoor), the Technostress Creators Scale, a single-item performance measure, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).
Path analysis showed that perceived restorativeness at work positively predicted performance and general health, while reducing technostress. In turn, technostress had negative effects on both performance and health. The model demonstrated good fit. Importantly, among the NCQ dimensions, only indirect and indoor nature contact significantly predicted restorativeness, whereas outdoor contact did not.
The R@WS does not directly measure exposure to nature; rather, it captures four psychological dimensions of restorative work environments: Being Away (mental detachment opportunities), Fascination (attention captured effortlessly), Coherence (clarity and organisation), and Scope (spatial richness and openness). Our findings suggest that restorative qualities can exist independently of natural features; however, the presence of indirect and indoor nature elements significantly enhances them. Overall, the results highlight the central role of restorative work environments in buffering technostress and promoting health and performance. Designing workplaces that foster Being Away, Fascination, Coherence, and Scope—potentially strengthened by accessible natural elements—may represent an effective strategy for enhancing employee well-being in contemporary organisations.