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The Human and Economic Cost of Loneliness

By Kathleen Schulz posted 08-05-2020 12:22 PM

  
We are not alone, but we are lonely.

working-remotely-graph.pngCOVID-19 has taken an emotional toll on employees and has compounded stress and loneliness in an already stressed and increasingly lonely workforce.  The continued fear, uncertainty, upended routines, financial pressure, and challenge for parents trying to tackle work and child care from home has impacted our daily emotions — reducing our joy, increasing our stress, and magnifying our feelings of loneliness.  

What is Loneliness, and Why Should Employers Care About It? 
Loneliness is often difficult to describe and diagnose because the feeling is wholly subjective, but put simply it’s a feeling of inadequate social connections.  Loneliness is further defined as a complex set of feelings that occur when intimate, social needs are not adequately met, which can be different from depression, being alone, or feelings of solitude. It has more to do with a person’s quality of social relationships rather than their quantity.¹ It’s possible to be in a crowded room and feel lonely, and also to be by yourself but not feel alone.  

Loneliness and weak social connections are associated with a reduction in life span similar to that caused by smoking  15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity. But many people haven’t given as much attention to strengthening connections between people as others have on reducing tobacco use or obesity.²  
While some might question why employee loneliness is an employer’s issue, it’s important to understand the impact on wellbeing, healthcare costs, engagement, and productivity.  

Loneliness is associated with an increase in the hormone cortisol, which leads to:³
  • Disrupted sleep
  • Poor immune function (which can increase the potential for getting sick)
  • Higher blood pressure
  • Mental health issues such as depression, decline, and dementia
Lonely workers say they are less engaged and less productive and report lower retention rates.

They are two times as likely to miss a day of work due to illness and six times more likely to miss work due to stress. 

Remote workers are more likely than non-remote workers to always or sometimes feel alone.⁴

Acknowledging that most people spend the majority of our waking hours at work, it becomes the employer’s opportunity to proactively tackle this issue. 

Loneliness and Remote Work:
In Gallagher’s COVID-19 Pulse Survey on Employer Responses, 82% of responders mandated remote work where appropriate. This massive shift happened without the normal evaluation of the role, individual’s work performance, equipment planning, and/or discussions surrounding expectations for working in a remote environment. While flexibility is highly valued by employees, according to the Buffer 2020 State of Remote Work Report,⁵ loneliness is one of the biggest challenges to working remotely.  

Is There a Sweet Spot for Remote Work? 
Yes. Data suggests there is a sweet spot to maximize engagement for remote workers. The highest levels of engagement are when working remotely three to four days and in the office for one to two days. Lowest levels of engagement come from those working remotely none of the time or all of the time.⁶ As employers think about reopening workplaces and revisiting policy related to remote work, consider the value of continuing with a remote work policy, but also the power of in-person contact and quality social connectedness on loneliness and overall engagement.

Don’t Force the Fun
Recognizing that loneliness and a lack of connection are serious workplace issues, some well-intentioned organizations have mandated social activities. This “forced fun” is meant to build teamwork and have a positive effect, but can sometimes have the opposite effect of being awkward and inducing anxiety. In some cases, this can further fuel loneliness and erode employee engagement, especially if there is not sensitivity regarding how these activities may impact child care, personal commitments, and schedules, or commute time. Additionally, while social interaction is good and healthy, people often hesitate to engage with others for fear of rejection, or getting “stuck” and therefore unable to end an interaction.

It’s All Connected its-all-connected.png
COVID-19 has presented unprecedented challenges, but a silver lining may be the advancement of conversations regarding emotional wellbeing and a new understanding for how employee wellbeing and organizational wellbeing connect.  The epidemic levels of stress people are experiencing can reduce their human resiliency — a person’s ability to bounce back from adversity. Lower resiliency can impact loneliness. Increased loneliness can raise the potential for burnout, driving down employee engagement, which is linked to overall wellbeing.  

People bring the most to work when they feel connected to the mission and the people around them. A company that fosters social connections as a strategic priority and values the positive emotions around compassion, joy, and caring is more likely to experience greater productivity and engagement while protecting against illness, loneliness, and burnout.






¹Loneliness within a nomological net: An evolutionary perspective. Journal of Research in Personality: Volume 40, issue 5, December 2006.
²Harvard Business Review, Work and the Loneliness Epidemic, 2017
³American Heart Association, Resilience in the Workplace Report, 2017.
⁴Cigna Loneliness In The Workplace Report, 2018
5Buffer 2020 State of Remote Work Report
⁶Gallup, Is Working Remotely Effective? Gallup Research Says Yes. January 2020.
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