Over half of employees feel lonely at work

A Glassdoor survey of 2,000 employees, conducted in March, found that 58% of predominantly younger employees feel isolated, three years after the first lockdown was introduced.

The research found that the figure drops to 47% for those with six-10 years of experience. 

It drops sharply to  15% for employees with over 11 years in the workforce, and 24% of that age group says they are “never lonely” at work.

The research found that 20% of all employees would stay in a job they didn’t like if the company social life was good, and 28% amongst workers under the age of 35. 

More than one in four (28 per cent) of all the employees surveyed believe companies are more anti-social now than pre-pandemic.

Read more: Four-day week for NHS would stop exodus of staff

The research stated that there’s isn’t a single cause of loneliness, but common reasons for feeling isolated at work include:

• Changes in a team force employees to develop new workplace relationships.
• Less in-person interaction with coworkers.
• Inflexibility in the workplace or an overly strict manager.
• Sharing few common interests with colleagues and feeling excluded from existing cliques.
• Insufficient support from your line manager.
• A lack of focus on creating a sense of belonging or community by your employer.

Only 1 in 2 (51%) employees connect socially with colleagues at least once a month, but 89% believe a sense of belonging is vital for workplace satisfaction.

Read more: £28 billion lost last year due to workplace stress 

Nearly half of all workers (49%) say a good social life has a significant impact on their overall job satisfaction and mental health.

Employee loneliness has jumped 11%* since working from home guidance was scrapped in January 2022 - creeping up to the highest levels since the first national lockdown in March 2020. 

Moreover, employees are struggling to build meaningful connections at work, with positive mentions of "social life" decreasing 39% since 2020.

Read more: Half of bosses see increase in mental health issues

"Cultivating a positive workplace culture is not a ’nice-to-have’. If employers want to keep talent, they must address the shocking loneliness felt particularly by younger workers," said Glassdoor’s career trends expert Jill Cotton. 

"Glassdoor’s research demonstrates employees long to feel part of a workplace community and see a good work social life as an indicator of a company they want to stay with.

"The shift to remote and hybrid work has transformed our social connections with colleagues, and companies and employees must adapt to these changes."