PurposeEmployee health is a major challenge for enterprises. Fostering a healthy work environment and promoting employee engagement are key to addressing this challenge. Health-promoting leadership and employee health are the driving forces of corporate development; at the same time, employability is the core element of employee relations. Based on self-determination theory, this study aims to explore the effects of health-promoting leadership and employee health on employee engagement in light of employee employability.Design/methodology/approachThe data of this study encompass 723 valid questionnaires from employees of MSME in China. This study focuses on health-promoting leadership and employee health, engagement relationship and the above relationship moderating by employability.FindingsHealth-promoting leadership plays a key role in the workplace, results show that health-promoting leadership has a positive impact on employee health and employee engagement, while employee health did not have a positive effect on employee engagement. Employability negatively moderated the relationship between employee health and employee engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is based on cross-sectional survey data collected at the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic rapidly and continuously changed the organizational responses to employee health. Future studies could utilize longitudinal methods or focus on measurement instruments of the culture of health, to create additional insights about health promoting.Originality/valueThis study adds important knowledge regarding health-promoting leadership and employee health in Chinese MSMEs, an area for which limited research exists. The findings provide insights and knowledge about health-promoting leadership how to affect employee health and to improve engagement outcomes. The findings also identify the moderating role of employability.

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China is the most populous country in the world. With the total GDP ranking second in the world, environmental protection issues are imminent. The employee green behavior can protect the environment and save resources. It is an important factor in the organization’s sustainable development, and Chinese traditional culture has always influenced people’s code of conduct. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study explores the process of Chinese traditional culture influence on employee green behavior through perceived value, Guanxi and psychological contract, and establishes a research model. It is expected to provide references and recommendations for follow-up researchers and business management.

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