The Epidemic of Loneliness and How It Impacts Employee Health

At the WCRI Annual Conference, organizational psychologist Connie Hadley (Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and the Institute for Life at Work) explored how loneliness has risen and why this matters for employee health, productivity, and resilience.

Human Connection

Human connection is an overwhelming desire for most people. This is often studied in the context of personal life but rarely in the workplace. The few studies of this in the workplace have shown that people with social connections in the workplace help support a safer workplace, have fewer accidents, and are more reliable. They also have higher job satisfaction and lower burnout.

Health Risks

Loneliness has a significant impact on overall health. It has the same mortality rate as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is higher than obesity in terms of risk factors. People who are lonely are typically at an increased risk for major health issues, more stress, diminished productivity, higher absenteeism, and a greater likelihood of quitting.

COVID’s Impact

Before COVID, studies showed over half of Americans surveyed reported feeling lonely and having difficulty making connections at work. So, this loneliness epidemic is not a result of the pandemic, although it did make it worse. In 2023, the US Surgeon General issued a report recommending that employers focus on creating social connections in the workplace to combat loneliness.

Organizational Intervention

One of the first things organizations can do to address loneliness is to establish rewards and bonuses that recognize the importance of providing support to others. Incentivize the desired behavior. If teamwork is a core value, are you rewarding those who promote it?

What types of activities can employers engage in to promote social connection in the workplace? Free communal lunches, networking with leaders, happy hours, peer relationship building programs, well-being group programs, and employee social groups can all contribute to creating social opportunities at work that lead to stronger social connections.

The way teams in the workplace are designed can contribute to social isolation. People may be on multiple teams at once, spreading them too thin to build relationships. Others are only on very narrow teams with limited socialization opportunities.

How can team design be redefined to lead to better socialization opportunities?

• Stable membership
• Robust roles
• Reciprocal interdependence – Must rely and depend on each other for the best outcomes
• Deep collaboration time
• High duration – Lots of quick projects don’t build relationships

What can individuals do?

• Increase small touch points – Even a 10 minute conversation can build a connection.
• Make socializing intentional – Focus on shared experiences, but also seek connections with people who are different in some way. Leverage natural social opportunities in the flow of work (lunch, commuting to airport).