It has been reported that loneliness is a ‘silent epidemic’ in the workplace, and research findings suggest it undermines employee wellbeing, productivity, and retention. In a recent report – Infinite Potential’s The State of Burnout 2025.
HCAMag reports that the new data show a stark reality: employees experiencing loneliness are twice as likely to report decreased productivity, score significantly lower on wellbeing metrics, and are far more likely to be looking for new employment. And, the impact of loneliness extends beyond individual suffering – but has tangible costs for teams and organisations.
It is said that lonely employees are twice as likely to have reported being less productive in the last year; 28% less ‘well’ than those not experiencing loneliness; 11% more likely to indicate their wellbeing will continue to get worse in the next twelve months; and 23% more likely to be looking for another job.
Strategies to tackle workplace loneliness
Many organisations have health and wellbeing programmes in place, but concerns exist that employers are not doing enough to address loneliness specifically.
Dr Michelle Lim is the CEO of Ending Loneliness Together, and she took part in a podcast We Are Human Leaders. “You can’t observe it in someone. You have to ask them. Ending loneliness is not just about fostering belonging and inclusion – leaders must first ensure that workloads are manageable, and recognition is embedded in team culture,” she said.
Strategies to combat loneliness include:
- Foster a culture of openness
- Promote meaningful connections
- Focus on a Shared Purpose
- Establish structured support programs like mentoring
It was also recommended that remote and hybrid working be rethought to combat feelings of isolation, as well as ensure work is sustainable.
Dr Lim added, “Where possible, bring people together regularly on set days. This ensures people aren’t showing up to an empty office and ending up on video calls all day.”
Loneliness as a growing crisis in the workforce
Research quotes the feeling of loneliness as an evolutionary human response to a lack of desired social connection, similar to feelings of hunger or thirst, which show us a lack of nourishment.
“Feeling lonely is as normal as feeling thirsty,” Dr Lim said, “we wouldn’t feel embarrassed about getting something to drink, so why do we feel embarrassed about feeling lonely? Unfortunately, in many workplace cultures, loneliness has a darker connotation. Loneliness is associated with personal failure (‘I must not be desirable; people don’t like me’), which gives rise to fear and shame, and in turn prevents us from acknowledging and discussing loneliness,” Lim added.
