To fully grasp human sustainability, we need to consider the interaction between the work and nonwork domains. Integrating research on thriving at work with the theory of action regulation at the work-family interface, we explore how employees evaluate their work-nonwork balance by actively regulating their work and nonwork goals. We focus on the differences between thriving and non-thriving employees by using polynomial regression. We employ a sample of employees (n = 306) to test the congruence between the various dimensions of thriving and their effects on the action regulation behaviors with regard to achieving better work-nonwork balance. The findings show that thriving employees are better at active regulation compared to non-thriving employees in three particular behaviors, while in two behaviors there are no significant differences. Furthermore, thriving employees experience better work-nonwork balance through active regulation behaviors, compared to non-thriving employees. Therefore, thriving at work is posited to be central to sustaining work-nonwork balance, but also gives the additional drive to employees to actively regulate their work and family goals. This contribution extends beyond theory, as we show the practical value of thriving at work for balancing work and nonwork, and consequently living in a more sustainable manner.
