Loneliness at Work
Loneliness in general is at a high point in the US and has also become a major concern in the workplace. And no, it doesn’t appear that remote work is to blame. No matter where people work, many report feeling lonely.
It’s understandable that some remote workers feel lonely, but many people who have returned to the office do too. Why? They talk about coworkers who stay behind their desk or in their office and rarely look up from their screens. These folks may be physically present, but they aren’t connecting in a meaningful way.
When people feel lonely at work, they aren’t doing their best , and this has troubling consequences for productivity and employee motivation and wellbeing. So, what can we do?
Here are some suggestions:
Start meetings, whether in person or virtual, with some small talk to encourage people to get to know each other before you get to your agenda.
Do an ice breaker when you have your teams together. Pick one where everyone can contribute , such as 1) describe your hometown and what was special about it; or 2) share one thing about yourself – something you want others to know and remember. There is always the tried and true, two truths and a lie. Check the internet for many other ice breakers.
Encourage your team members to take good care of themselves. Use the resources of your EAP to provide information on nutrition, exercise, and other topics to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Self-care is important.
Speaking of the EAP, use their mental health resources to help your employees deal with their loneliness.
Build communities around the interests of your staff members. Do you have a lot of employees who like to read? Start an online book club that everyone can participate in. Do some of your staff members enjoy a particular video game? Bring them together and spark some friendly competition. Start by surveying your employees to find out their interests and go from there.
·When holding a one-on-one session with an employee, managers should have some questions prepared to help them evaluate whether loneliness is an issue. Your EAP can help with questions to ask.
Find a cause you can all support and volunteer and/or raise money for that cause. This can work for any organization—whether in person, virtual, or hybrid. The trick is to find a cause your team can get behind.
Encourage your employees to make friends at work. When people are connected to another person in the workplace, they tend to be more engaged in their work and happier which means they aren’t lonely,
Above all, treat your staff members as human being and not just as employees, Listen to them. Let them know you care about how they are feeling and be aware of what you can do to make them feel connected to your organization. And take care of yourself. Managers can get lonely too.
Read more about employee health and wellness in The Big Book of HR.