Introduction and purpose: As business complexity increases, Sustainable Human Resource Management is now both a legal and ethical obligation for CSR. Despite its recognition, the HRM field lacks validated tools for measuring and implementing sustainable practices. While frameworks like the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) promote a balance of economic, environmental, and social factors, the absence of empirical measurements hinders practical application. This study addresses this gap by refining and validating a Sustainable HR Practices Scale based on previous studies which aligns with the TBL framework, operationalizing three key dimensions: Employee-Support (People), Performance-Enhancement (Profit), and Green HR Practices (Planet).


Methods: The research include two studies using data gathered from Spain, encompassing a cross-sector sample of 741 employees (2021) and a data cohort from social economy sector (1,589 at the end of 2022; 562 in mid-2023). The study implemented comprehensive statistical analyses, including EFA and CFA, reliability, and validity testing to ensure the scale's structural integrity. Different models were employed, tested and compared to find the best fit one.


Results: The hierarchical second-order CFA model (10 first-order factors loading onto 3 TBL-aligned bundles) confirmed structural validity (RMSEA = .06, CFI = .91) and had a good fit. Thus, the model of three bundles of practices with ten HR practices, has been confirmed and validated as an assessment tool. All psychometric results including Alpha, Omega, Rho, Split-Half and Test-retest reliability are robust. Additionally, there was consistently strong evidence for convergent, predictive, and criterion validity.


Conclusions and implications: This research offers organizations a practical tool that not only enhances academic discussions, but also provides practitioners with a validated tool to foster significant, data-driven advancements in sustainable HRM.