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Loneliness is severely affecting employees at work, study shows

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Summary

This article discusses the effects of loneliness in the workplace, which appears to be a growing issue for many employees. The study found that men, younger generations, and senior leaders were more likely to feel very lonely, and loneliness was associated with various negative outcomes. The article suggests that employers should focus on creating a culture of trust and respect to help their employees, and that quality of interactions is more important than the time spent in the office or in meetings. It also notes that loneliness can have a negative impact on productivity and health.

Q&As

How many workers have reported feeling "very" or "somewhat" lonely at work?
More than 4 in 10 workers have reported feeling "very" or "somewhat" lonely at work.

Are there differences in loneliness between genders and generations?
Yes, men were twice as likely as women to report that they feel “very” lonely, and Generation Z and millennial employees were more likely to feel lonely than Generation X or baby boomer workers. Senior leaders were twice as likely as lower-level managers or individual contributors to feel “very” lonely as well.

What negative effects are associated with loneliness in the workplace?
Loneliness in the workplace is associated with various negative outcomes, such as disengagement, difficulty with productivity, sleep difficulties, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and negative behavior towards family and friends due to work stress.

How can employers help workers who are feeling lonely?
To help their employees, leaders should focus on the quality of interactions rather than the time spent in office or in meetings. Employees who said they feel appreciated at work or motivated by their company’s values were more than twice as likely to not report loneliness. In addition, those with a good connection to their manager were 1.4 times as likely to not report loneliness.

What other research has been done on the effects of work on mental health?
A third of U.S. workers say their mental health is worse than last year, according to a June report from The Conference Board. In other recent research from the SHRM Foundation, 1 in 3 employees said their job has a negative impact on their mental health. Among those experiencing loneliness in particular, workers are more likely to report negative effects to their productivity and health, according to a Cigna study.

AI Comments

👍 The article does a great job of highlighting the severity of loneliness among employees, and how it is impacting their mental health. It also provides helpful advice on how employers can help their employees who are feeling lonely, such as creating a culture of trust, respect, and cooperation, and giving them quality time together in person.

👎 The article fails to address the root causes of loneliness and how organizations can better support their employees. It also glosses over the importance of emotional and mental health support and fails to provide any data on how it could help reduce loneliness in the workplace.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how loneliness is affecting employees at work and how returning to the office doesn't appear to help. It also talks about how too many meetings can make it worse.

Friend: That's really interesting. It makes sense that loneliness would negatively affect productivity and health. It's sad that remote workers don't feel that returning to the office would help.

Me: Yeah, it's definitely concerning. It looks like employers need to focus more on creating a culture of trust, respect, and cooperation and providing opportunities for teams to spend quality time together, even if it's remotely.

Action items

Create a culture of trust, respect, and cooperation in the workplace.
Focus on the quality of interactions rather than the time spent in office or in meetings.
Provide employees with opportunities to spend quality time together in person.

Technical terms

Loneliness: A feeling of being isolated, disconnected, and without companionship.
Employees: People who are hired to work for a company or organization.
Perceptyx: An employee listening and manager effectiveness platform.
Generation Z: People born between 1997 and 2012.
Millennial: People born between 1981 and 1996.
Generation X: People born between 1965 and 1980.
Baby Boomer: People born between 1946 and 1964.
Senior Leaders: People in positions of authority in an organization.
Lower-Level Managers: People in positions of authority below senior leaders.
Individual Contributors: People who are responsible for completing tasks or projects.
Organic Interactions: Natural interactions between people.
Overscheduled Time: Time that is filled with too many activities or tasks.
Disconnection: A lack of connection or relationship.
Engagement: The level of interest and involvement in a task or activity.
Productivity: The amount of work that is completed in a given period of time.
Hybrid Workers: People who work both remotely and in an office.
Appreciated: Feeling valued and respected.
Motivated: Feeling inspired and energized to do something.
Connection: A relationship or bond between two or more people.
Trust: A feeling of confidence in someone or something.
Respect: A feeling of admiration or deference for someone or something.
Cooperation: Working together to achieve a common goal.
Mental Health: A person’s emotional and psychological well-being.
Workload: The amount of work that needs to be done.
Work-Life Balance: The ability to manage work and personal life in a way that is satisfying and healthy.
Negative Impact: A harmful or detrimental effect.
Overwhelmed: Feeling a sense of being overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Anxious: Feeling nervous or worried about something.
Dissatisfied: Feeling unhappy or displeased with something.