Experiencing workplace envy is recognized as a stress-inducing encounter, primarily due to the associated social repercussions. The present research seeks to complement this view by investigating the depleting impact of responding to perceptions of being envied. Building on extant resource theory, we develop and test a model that elucidates how two prevalent responses to envy—surface acting and altruistic helping—deplete the resources of envied employees and thus impair their engagement. Additionally, we propose that leader integrity, as a relevant organizational factor, moderates these negative indirect effects of perceptions of envy on engagement. We test this moderated mediation effect through a time-lag multi-source survey study. Our findings indicate that perceptions of being envied can prompt both surface acting and altruistic helping behaviors. Notably, surface acting emerges as the more resource-depleting behavior, exerting a more detrimental impact on work engagement. This research contributes significantly to both theoretical understanding and practical applications by highlighting the resource-depleting nature of responses to perceived envy.
