Now that in-person work is back in full force, it’s easy to think that we have everything we need to feel as connected as ever. But, even though we’ve gotten closer to one another and have the technological tools, organizational structures, and work practices to make communication and collaboration easier, loneliness at work is still a real issue.
What is workplace loneliness? Workplace loneliness is defined as “the perception of a lack of emotional support and quality interpersonal relationships among coworkers.” (Borba, Ringwald, and De Melo, 2025; Wright, Burt, and Strongman, 2006).
These feelings aren’t necessarily caused by a lack of social interaction. You can hop from one meeting to the next, work in a team day in and day out, eat with your coworkers several times a week, and still feel lonely. In other words, it’s not about how many interactions you have, but rather how meaningful your relationships with those around you are.
Workplace loneliness isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s a risk factor for our mental and physical health and is as harmful as obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015). Loneliness and isolation are associated with a greater risk of depression, anxiety, and sleep issues, and can even lead to cardiovascular disease (Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, 2023).
In addition, there is a growing awareness that loneliness represents a major business risk for organizations. According to a study conducted by BetterUp (2022), people who feel less connected to their coworkers are 73% less engaged at work. Loneliness also has an impact on job satisfaction, mental health, work performance, and employee retention (Bryan et al., 2023; Sasaki et al., 2024). The financial impact, for its part, could amount to billions of dollars (Sullivan and Bendell, 2023).
How to combat workplace loneliness
This is an issue that needs to be addressed within organizations.
A common reaction is to blame remote work and assume that getting people back into the office will fix the problem. After all, isn’t that how people build relationships? It’s not that simple. As strange as it may seem, how you work doesn’t really affect how lonely or isolated you feel, even if those who mainly work from home tend to socialize less (Borba, Ringwald, and De Melo, 2025). As previously mentioned, it’s the quality of our relationships that matters most.
Here are a few suggestions to foster an environment where authentic and lasting relationships can develop:
- Consider how your existing organizational culture may help or hinder people’s ability to forge connections. This involves more than simply reviewing mission statements and values; it involves taking a close look at actual behaviours, implicit norms, and day-to-day practices. This will help you find practical ways to strengthen human connection.
- The lack of clear frameworks in flexible working arrangements can lead to a deterioration in workplace relationships and cohesion, as well as increased feelings of isolation. Significant progress can be made when you establish clear guidelines and implement team practices that encourage kindness, trust, and openness.
- Managers play a vital role in creating a healthy workplace. But do they have the tools they need to make it happen? In strengthening their ability to communicate, empathize, and build trust, you not only empower people, you also teach them how to use the right tools at the right time.
- Like all living beings, relationships need regular attention to thrive. Unfortunately, in the rush of everyday life, opportunities to connect often take a back seat. That’s why it’s important to intentionally set aside time to connect (e.g., team lunches or coffee breaks, informal chats, or mentoring). Above all, it’s important to make a personal and collective commitment to nurture relationships.
- While teamwork is a powerful antidote to isolation, genuine collaboration doesn’t simply happen on its own. It must be built into the organization’s practices. By making collaboration an important component of performance reviews and individual development plans, and by recognizing—either formally or informally—collaborative behaviours on a daily basis, you can build a culture that encourages commitment and mutual support.
Conclusion
Workplace loneliness is a serious issue that has real consequences on people’s health, engagement, and performance. Yet, it’s often overlooked. Remember that telework and flexible schedules aren’t the main culprits, but rather, it’s the quality of our interpersonal relationships. By taking an honest look at our organizational cultures, structuring our work practices in an intentional way, giving our managers the tools they need, and creating real opportunities to connect, we can make a difference.
We encourage you to make conscious efforts, however small, to build workplaces characterized by strong, authentic, and supportive relationships.
Are you looking for a partner that can help you develop and implement a course of action?
At Humance, our multidisciplinary team can help you identify the key actions to take and implement solutions to address your needs.
Sources:
Borba, D., Ringwald, L., and De Melo, T. (2025). Tackling Workplace Loneliness and Isolation Through Leadership and Choice. The Conference Board of Canada.
Bryan, B., Andrews, G., Thompson, K. N., and Qualter, P. (2023). “Loneliness in the Workplace: A Mixed-method Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Occupational Medicine, 73(9), 557–567.
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., and Stephenson, D. (2015). “Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review.” Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227–237.
Office of the U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. Office of the U.S. Surgeon General.
Sasaki, N., Kuroda, R., Tsuno, K., Imamura, K., Eguchi, H., Shimazu, A., and Kawakami, N. (2024). “Loneliness Without Distress, Chosen Isolation (Solitude) at the Workplace, and Mental Health and Job Performance: A Cross-sectional Study of Japanese Employees.” Ind Health, 62(4), 265–270.
Sullivan, D. M. and Bendell, B. L. (2023). “Help! Lonely at work: Managerial interventions to combat employee loneliness.” Business Horizons, 66(5), 655–666.
Wood, A., Eatough, E., Wooll, M., Leimgruber, K., Le Nguyen, K., Hong, J. E., and Ong, V. (2022). Why Community Matters in the New World of Work. BetterUp.
Wright, S. L., Burt, C. D. B., and Strongman, K. T. (2006). “Loneliness in the Workplace: Construct Definition and Scale Development.” New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 35(2), 59–68.
