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Addressing Loneliness at Work
- Alice Cunningham
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
A New Year Priority for Workplace Connection
Could your team be experiencing loneliness when they return to work after the winter break? Research from the World Health Organisation suggests that one in five (20%) employees experience loneliness during a typical working day.
For some, winter breaks bring connection, shared time and a sense of belonging, even if only briefly. Coming back to work can feel like a sharp shift in pace and atmosphere.
Meanwhile those who do not experience connection during the winter holidays could already be feeling disconnected and experiencing their loneliest time of year.
These feelings can be more noticeable for remote and hybrid teams or organisations navigating staff turnover, seasonal sickness, and reduced capacity as people try to reconnect and settle back into work.
The flipside to loneliness is connection. Connection in the workplace is integral to how teams function day-to-day – in meetings, communication, and working relationships.
Reducing loneliness among your teams helps to increase both productivity and wellbeing.
Loneliness at Work: What It Is and Why It Matters
Loneliness at work isn’t about how many people you work with, or how busy your days are. It’s about feeling disconnected, unseen or unsupported, even when you’re surrounded by colleagues.
People can feel lonely in busy offices, meetings, or as part of large teams. It is less about physical presence and more about whether someone feels included, understood, and able to connect.
Because loneliness is not always obvious, it can easily go unnoticed at work. And when it does, its impact on employee wellbeing and workplace connection can slowly build over time.
What Does Loneliness at Work Look Like? Feelings of Isolation at Work
Loneliness in the workplace often shows up in subtle ways. Someone might withdraw slightly, contribute less in meetings, or stop joining informal conversations. Others may continue to perform well on the surface, while feeling increasingly disconnected underneath.
This can affect people at different stages of their working life: a new starter finding it hard to settle in; someone returning after time off; an employee navigating a personal difficulty while trying to keep up with work expectations.
In many cases people will not describe themselves as lonely. They may simply feel isolated at work, unsure where they fit, or hesitant to reach out.
What Causes Loneliness in the Workplace?
There is rarely one single reason why loneliness at work occurs. It is a natural human experience that can affect anyone at any time, and it is important to move away from the idea that being alone automatically means being lonely.
Some common workplace factors can increase the likelihood of loneliness:
Starting a new role or joining a new team
High workloads or pressure, where regular check-ins fall away
Staff turnover, where team relationships change and familiar connections are disrupted
Feeling unsupported or overlooked, even in established teams
Hybrid or remote working, where connection takes more intention
People can still feel lonely even when they’re surrounded by others, especially when meaningful connection is missing.
Why Loneliness at Work Can Increase After the Holidays
The festive period can offer moments of connection, routine and familiarity. Even short periods spent with family, friends, or community can create a sense of belonging.
Coming back to work in January can feel like a contrast. Offices may be quieter. Teams may be stretched or operating differently. Hybrid routines restart, and attention quickly shifts to updates, deadlines and decisions.
In this change of pace, some people can begin to feel less visible. The connection they recently experienced may fade, making loneliness at work feel more noticeable than before.
For those people who have not experienced connection over the festive period, or have had to deal with a family difficulty or sudden change in their lives - coming back to work may initially feel like a relief, but quickly change to deeper feelings of loneliness if the workplace is disconnected.
This makes the start of the year a particularly important time for organisations to focus on workplace connection and wellbeing in the workplace.
Supporting Employee Wellbeing Through Workplace Connection
Workplace connection plays a quiet but important role in employee wellbeing and staff wellbeing. When people feel disconnected for long periods, loneliness can start to affect confidence, motivation, and overall mental health.
Supporting wellbeing doesn’t have to mean complex programmes or big initiatives. Often, it is about creating space for connection and making it easier for people to feel noticed and supported at work.
This might include:
Regular, meaningful check-ins
Inclusive team routines, especially for hybrid or remote teams
Normalising conversations about loneliness and connection
Using tools like Employee Assistance Programmes as part of wider support
Creating opportunities for fun or light-hearted conversations such as team lunches
Small, consistent actions can make a real difference to how people experience work day to day.
Building Understanding Through Workplace Loneliness Training
We offer a 45-minute Level 1: Understanding Loneliness training to provide teams with a clear, research-informed starting point for the year that will help them achieve workplace connection.
Delivered in person or online, it helps people spot signs of loneliness and understand how to respond, using practical tools they can apply straight away.
Each organisation receives a Post-Training Resource Pack to support learning beyond the session, helping teams continue building connections in everyday ways.
Why This Matters for Workplace Connection
The impact of loneliness in the workplace training is consistent: 100% of attendees report improved understanding of loneliness, 66% say their understanding significantly improved, and 89% feel more confident talking about loneliness afterwards.
But beyond the numbers, the real value is what changes day to day. People feel more able to notice one another. To check in. To have conversations that might otherwise be missed.
Over time, this helps build workplaces where people feel seen, supported, and less alone at work, with productivity improving as loneliness reduces and day-to-day job performance strengthens.
For public, private and third-sector organisations looking to strengthen workplace connection and employee wellbeing, this session offers an accessible place to begin the year.