<p>Workplace ostracism, a form of workplace cold violence, is harmful to employees’ physical and mental health and disrupts their work behaviors. This study explored the influence mechanism of workplace ostracism on employee work alienation from the perspective of the conservation of resources theory. A statistical analysis of survey data from 278 employees collected at three different periods revealed that workplace ostracism can lead to employee work alienation, with organization-based self-esteem serving as a mediating factor. Furthermore, employees’ higher psychological resilience not only weaken the negative relationship between workplace ostracism and organization-based self-esteem but also mitigate the mediating role of the latter. These results provide theoretical insights and practical guidance for enterprises to address workplace ostracism and reduce employee work alienation.</p>