Veteran employees are a valuable part of the public sector workforce. Their thriving is essential for organizational sustainability. However, little is known about how to enable them to thrive at work amid stigma. Given the importance of organizational inclusion in promoting positive workplace outcomes for stigmatized vulnerable groups, this study aimed to investigate whether, how, and when perceived inclusive climate affects public sector veteran employees' thriving at work. With a survey of 696 Chinese public sector veteran employees, the results reveal that perceived inclusive climate positively impacts thriving at work through psychological capital and social capital. Furthermore, veteran identity centrality moderates the mediating effects of both psychological and social capital. These findings deepen the understanding of how to facilitate the thriving of veteran employees in public organizations.

Ke Jianglin, Hu Jingyu, Wang Qiongwei, Zhang Yufei. Thriving of Veteran Employees in Public Organizations: The Roles of Perceived Inclusive Climate, Psychological Capital, Social Capital, and Veteran Identity Centrality [J]. Public Personnel Management, Feb 2026, DOI: 10.1177/00910260261421215.