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Despite growing scholarly attention to occupational stress and gender, the role of organisational design in shaping gendered stress experiences remains insufficiently theorised and empirically explored. This study addresses a critical gap by examining how organisational design, beyond individual or role-based factors, shapes gender-specific stress experiences and productivity outcomes. While existing research has explored occupational stress and gender dynamics, limited attention has been given to how organisational structures, cultures, and embedded norms sustain these disparities within specific professional contexts. Focusing on Social Auxiliary Workers in a South African public sector setting, the study provides contextually grounded insights into the organisational determinants of gendered stress. It explores how organisational arrangements generate systemic challenges experienced differently by men and women, influencing both well-being and performance. The study highlights gendered perceptions of workplace stressors, including those related to hierarchical positioning, role expectations, and unequal access to career opportunities. Data were collected from male and female Social Auxiliary Workers employed by the Mpumalanga Department of Social Development. Guided by Person–Environment Fit Theory, the study conceptualises stress as arising from the alignment or misalignment between individual characteristics and organisational environments. The findings underscore the need for gender-sensitive organisational practices, inclusive workplace cultures, and targeted wellness interventions to mitigate stress and promote equity. The study contributes to scholarship by extending theoretical and empirical understandings of gendered occupational stress within under-researched public sector contexts, while highlighting the importance of addressing organisational stressors to enhance employee well-being, sustainable productivity, and equity.

This article provides comprehensive coverage of the concept of employee health, examining its connection to employees' overall performance and the ideal workplace culture and environment necessary for achieving success. This passage provides a concise overview of the difficulties encountered by employees in achieving a harmonious equilibrium between their professional and personal lives, as well as the subsequent impact on their general well-being. The primary inquiry of utmost significance is to the requisite organizational measures that must be undertaken to foster employee welfare within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath, with the ultimate aim of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Three. This study employs a qualitative approach by doing a desktop analysis of material through a comprehensive examination of existing literature. The data is subjected to conceptual analysis. The study examines the utilization of employee wellness programs (EWPs) as organizational frameworks to ensure employee satisfaction and productivity. These programs are grounded in the notion that employee health is interconnected with employee performance and external factors. Furthermore, this study provides recommendations that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of Employee Wellness Programs (EWPs) in order to achieve the objectives outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) and enhance employee performance.