As loneliness reaches epidemic levels worldwide, work has become one of the main settings where connection is either strengthened or lost. In 2023, Vivek Murthy, the former surgeon general of the United States, labelled loneliness an “epidemic,” warning that its consequences rival those of other major health risks.
This concern is echoed globally. The World Health Organization now estimates that roughly one in six adults worldwide experience significant loneliness.
Work sits at the centre of this crisis. For most adults, work is the primary social environment outside of family and close friends. Drawing on a comprehensive review of more than 200 studies, my colleagues and I synthesized decades of research across the fields of management, psychology and health.
We found that loneliness at work is not a marginal or temporary issue, but a systematic and consequential feature of modern working life. It shapes employee wellbeing, behaviour and performance in ways that extend well beyond the individual.
To understand why workplace loneliness matters, it helps to recognize that loneliness is a complex experience. It emerges when people perceive a gap between the social connection they want and what they believe they have. Because it is subjective, people can feel lonely even in busy, collaborative workplaces.
Loneliness is inherently distressing, but it does not remain confined to emotions. It shapes how people think and behave, influencing attention, motivation and everyday interactions at work.
Loneliness also differs in duration and form, with important implications. For some employees, loneliness is temporary, triggered by transitions such as starting a new role or moving into leadership. In these cases, loneliness can sometimes prompt reconnection.
For others, loneliness becomes chronic, settling into a self-reinforcing pattern that is harder to reverse and more damaging over time. These distinctions help explain why loneliness affects employees and organizations so differently.
The consequences of loneliness at work are both personal and organizational.
Employee well-being erodes. Loneliness, much like chronic stress, places sustained strain on people’s mental and emotional capacities. Research consistently links workplace loneliness to emotional exhaustion, psychological distress and feelings of alienation.
Loneliness has also been associated with physiological stress responses, including heightened cortisol levels. Beyond strain, loneliness also reduces positive emotions, life satisfaction and a sense of meaning, while increasing negative emotional experiences.
Engagement and effectiveness may also decline. Research consistently shows that lonely employees are less engaged in their work. They are more likely to withdraw from their roles, invest less energy and reduce their overall contribution to organizational outcomes.
Loneliness is also associated with impaired cognitive functioning, including diminished focus and concentration, which undermines productivity.
The psychological effects of loneliness have clear downstream consequences for behaviour, performance and health.
Workplace performance can suffer, as loneliness is negatively related to both self-reported and supervisor-rated job performance. Lonely employees have been found to be less committed and are often perceived as less approachable, which can translate into lower performance evaluations. There is also evidence that loneliness is associated with reduced creativity at work.
Research links workplace loneliness to higher levels of counterproductive work behaviours, including cyberloafing, problematic internet behaviours, poorer cybersecurity practices and higher absenteeism.
Loneliness is also associated with a diminished capacity for self-regulation, which plays a critical role in controlling attention, emotions and behaviour at work. When self-regulation is compromised, employees may struggle to stay focused and manage emotional responses effectively.
Health can also be affected. Loneliness is consistently linked to poorer mental and physical health. Among working adults, loneliness is associated with psychological distress, while broader research shows that loneliness is related to mental health difficulties.
Research points to several evidence-based approaches that can reduce loneliness when implemented thoughtfully. First, providing social support is one of the most reliable ways to reduce loneliness, particularly for people already at higher risk. Peer mentoring, group-based support and structured opportunities for connection are especially effective because they create safe environments where relationships can develop.
Building social skills also helps. Loneliness is not always about a lack of opportunity; it can also reflect difficulty initiating or sustaining social connections. Interventions that strengthen interpersonal skills, such as communication and relationship-building, can reduce loneliness by helping people feel more confident and about social interactions at work.
Volunteering reduces isolation. Volunteering has emerged as a particularly promising strategy for reducing loneliness. Engaging in meaningful, pro-social activities outside one’s core role can strengthen social bonds and increase feelings of connection, making it a valuable component of broader organizational strategies.
There is also growing evidence that mindfulness-based approaches can reduce loneliness by targeting unhelpful thought patterns, such as negative self-talk and pessimistic expectations about others. By encouraging present-focused awareness, mindfulness can help disrupt these patterns and support more adaptive social engagement.
The prevalence of loneliness at work raises a deeper question about the kind of workplaces we’re creating. Environments that consistently reward speed, output and constant availability without equal attention to connection can unintentionally foster isolation, even among highly capable and committed employees.
It is critical that employers design workplaces that allow people to belong as well as perform. Intentionally structuring work to include things like peer support programs, collaborative team rituals and opportunities for mindful focus can strengthen social connection while also improving engagement and performance.
Organizations that take this seriously are not just responding to a social problem but are investing in healthier, more resilient ways of working.
Julie McCarthy, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, University of Toronto
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.