Workplace loneliness is an often criticized and misperceived topic. It is neither a myth nor an excuse but a reality as Constance Hadley, organizational psychologist, related it with smoking calling it to be equally dangerous. It is like smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. It adds to workplace burnout. Loneliness has impacted individuals in all aspects of life like interpersonal relationships, business ties, and even the well-being of a person. Despite globalization and technology that has made the entire world a global village, people feel lonely in this pool of people always connecting on social media. If everyone is connecting then why is there still loneliness existing, in fact, continuously increasing? Keep reading to know the answers.
Who do you count on if you need any assistance at the workplace? Answering this one question will clarify if an employee is lonely or not.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding workplace loneliness involves recognizing the mismatch between desired and actual social relationships at work.
- Statistics show a significant percentage of employees experience loneliness, which leads to high costs for employers due to absenteeism and stress-related leaves.
- Remote work has not necessarily alleviated workplace loneliness; feelings of inclusion and belonging are crucial.
- Loneliness affects productivity, with lonely employees taking more stress-related leaves and being more likely to quit.
- Employers play a key role in addressing workplace loneliness by understanding employee feelings, reducing workloads, encouraging team-building activities, and promoting work-life balance.
- Employees can cope with workplace loneliness by building resilience, interacting openly with colleagues, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
What is Workplace Loneliness?
Constance Hadley defines workplace loneliness as a lack of relationships with those around you. It is less complex than workplace burnout but it is equally troubling. A social movement titled ‘Campaign to End Loneliness’ started in London which explained that loneliness is the result of a mismatch between desires for a social relationship versus what in practical quality and quantity exists.
Workplace loneliness comprises the feelings and emotions of a person related to the quality and sufficiency of his or her work relationships. It is a natural desire of every human to have strong affiliations and emotional bonds with other people around him. Human connection is a basic need and if that is not available then people feel lonely.
Loneliness in the Workplace Statistics
Loneliness in the workplace statistics show that three in every five adults before the coronavirus had faced workplace loneliness. These feelings of loneliness resulted in an annual loss of $154 billion to employers. The underlying cause for this cost is the increased absenteeism due to workplace stress. Forty-seven percent of people at the workplace feel lonely because of the lack of social companionship and personal that will be discussed in the section ‘coping mechanism’.
Loneliness has serious impacts on the health of an individual. According to research by WHO, around 4.5 percent of Indians are facing depression problems. Likewise, thirty thousand people in Japan die annually because of loneliness while 9 million people in the United Kingdom face loneliness.
Remote Work Loneliness
The mode of work has changed since 2020, and our work habits have also transformed with hybrid work. Loneliness is not only about in-person interactions but its definition has much more than this. It is about a deeper connection with the people surrounding you, the feelings of inclusion and belongingness. Therefore, Hadley discourages the allegations that technology brings workplace loneliness. She also says that people who think coming back to in-person work will be the best vaccine are living in a fool’s paradise.
Loneliness and Productivity
Loneliness and productivity are directly related. The feelings of pessimism bring a lack of interest in employees declining their work performance and increasing job burnout. Employees stuck in loneliness are found to take five days extra stress-related leave annually as compared to those having good company. Although, employees are always on the hunt for better opportunities to switch jobs but the lonely workers are two times more prone to quit their current job. The feelings of loneliness not only hinder individual growth but also impact the overall productivity of an organization.
Coping Mechanism
The coping mechanism for workplace loneliness consists of both personal and job-related factors. Bringing improvements in these aspects will certainly improve emotional well-being and employee engagement. Let us explore one after the other to decrease workplace loneliness.
- For Employers
Workplace loneliness needs to be treated as a workplace problem rather than a worker problem. A worker is facing workplace loneliness because of the underlying responses and discriminatory practices at the office which he faces. Employers need to understand how the employees feel and what they go through every single day in the office.
The random and obligatory surveys are boring and exhausting so a better and exciting alternative to this could be collecting targeted data. However, being socially stigmatized, people may feel reluctant to openly talk about loneliness. Instead of treating them as dysfunctional, a proper action plan should be drafted to address the stressors.
Constance Hadley, lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, also favors data collection. According to her, this data reflects whatever is going on in practice and helps in determining detached people and groups along with the reasons for disconnection.
Secondly, employers can also help employees in coping with workplace loneliness. One thing they can do is reduce the workload. Some days can be entirely dedicated to the journey of self-discovery. Some days can be dedicated to thinking creatively about a given topic without any deadline. Some days can also be dedicated to building team activities where all members interact with each other and align common interests.
Another expected effort from an employer is to give rewards and compensation to all employees when they meet their targets while maintaining safety standards. They should be encouraged to participate in the activities that make them feel healthy. Social networking should be increased by implementing inclusive environments that bring betterment in the performance criteria. In fact, mental health coverage costs should be paid by the government.
The workplace is not only a hub for work but it also provides avenues for social companionship. Employees can meet and interact with new people. If the interests converge they can also become friends to lessen their workplace loneliness. This socialization with known and unknown people is a great opportunity for people to build new and fresh companionships.
Another factor to reduce workplace loneliness is getting satisfied with workplace communication. No matter if you are communicating with a person online via video call, chat message, email, phone call, or in-person, the key to limiting loneliness at the workplace is contentment with the channel. Team building is also an important aspect of building constructive bonds between employees.
One should also maintain a work-life balance. Professional life should not invade personal space while the time at work should be utilized properly to finish the tasks. Employers have a role in improving the work-life balance of a person the National Medical Executive for Behavioral Health at Evernorth, Stuart Lustig, points out, ”Managers at every level of an organization can initiate discussions with each of their team members about what a healthy work-life balance would feel like for them personally.”
Leaders in a workplace need to set a collaborative culture of some norms and values so that all colleagues respect and care for each other. They are responsible for bridging the disconnect between employees. Every person in the workplace having a leadership role needs to be trained to behave appropriately according to the given situation. They should be open to listening to their employees and show interest in their lives. They should know all team members and spare time in addressing any issue they might be facing.
- For Employees
The most important factor that employees should make a part of their daily routine is resilience. One should be resilient enough to take the life happenings be it positive or negative. Other than that, employees should be considerate towards their colleagues. They should treat everyone at the office with respect and should always be responsive. Another thing one needs to do is to provide emotional well-being and security to everyone.
To end workplace loneliness, you need to be open enough to interact with people around you and share your personal thoughts with them. You need to tell your colleagues all your concerns and can even ask them to act accordingly with you. You should be yourself all the time rather than pretending what others want you to be and what society demands.
Conclusion
Workplace loneliness is a real issue that millions of people face. So, addressing workplace loneliness is essential for both the well-being of employees and the overall success of an organization. The first thing is recognizing the problem, then understanding its implications, and lastly, implementing effective coping mechanisms, employers and employees can work together to create a more connected, supportive, and productive work environment. A proactive approach to fostering strong relationships and emotional well-being at work not only enhances individual satisfaction but also boosts organizational efficiency and morale.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workplace Loneliness
- What is workplace loneliness?
Workplace loneliness is the lack of meaningful relationships and connections with colleagues at work, impacting emotional well-being and productivity.
- What are some common signs of workplace loneliness?
Signs of workplace loneliness include increased absenteeism, lack of employee engagement, social withdrawal, and declining work performance.
- How does workplace loneliness affect productivity?
Lonely employees tend to take more stress-related leaves, show less interest in their work, and are more likely to quit their jobs, which negatively impacts productivity.
- How can employers help reduce workplace loneliness?
Employers can reduce loneliness by fostering a supportive work environment, encouraging team-building activities, promoting work-life balance, and regularly checking in with employees.
- What role does technology play in workplace loneliness?
While technology can help maintain connections, it cannot replace the deeper human interactions and emotional bonds needed to combat loneliness. Loneliness is caused by the feelings and emotions of a person related to the quality and sufficiency of his or her work relationships.
- Is remote work increasing workplace loneliness?
Remote work can contribute to loneliness, but feelings of inclusion and belonging are more crucial than the mode of work. Effective communication and strong virtual connections can mitigate loneliness.
- What are the health impacts of workplace loneliness?
Impacts of workplace loneliness include depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues, affecting overall well-being.
- How can employees cope with workplace loneliness?
Employees can cope by building resilience, openly interacting with colleagues, seeking support, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
- Why is workplace loneliness considered as dangerous as smoking?
Like smoking, workplace loneliness has severe health implications and can contribute to various mental and physical health issues, impacting overall life quality.
- Can improving workplace communication help reduce loneliness?
Yes, effective and satisfying communication, whether in-person or virtual, can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and enhance team cohesion.
References:
- The Business Journals. “’I was worried about this before the pandemic’: Organizational psychologist discusses loneliness among employees in the workplace (podcast), https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2023/05/17/psychologist-discusses-loneliness-in-the-workplace.html.”
- “Loneliness and its impact on the American workplace, https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/combatting-loneliness/loneliness-and-its-impact-on-the-american-workplace.pdf.”
- MIT Sloan Management Review. “Are Your Team Members Lonely? https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/are-your-team-members-lonely/.”
- Health Resources and Services Administration. “eNews – Past Issues, https://www.hrsa.gov/enews/past-issues.”
