Employers and loneliness

20th May 2021

DCMS, 2021

View at GOV.UK Having good quality meaningful connections is associated with better outcomes in terms of quality of work, higher wellbeing and greater engagement in work. Across work roles, a lack of social connection and loneliness can lead to less commitment and productivity and greater absenteeism and staff turnover, and employees who feel lonely appear less approachable to their colleagues. This report draws on consultation with a rich network of businesses and employers who recognise loneliness in the workplace and support employees’ social wellbeing. The consultation identified five key themes to tackle loneliness at work:

• Culture and infrastructure
• Management
• People and Networks
• Work and workplace design
• Wider role in the community

The report contains examples of good practice and learning and maps them onto what we know about loneliness and ways to alleviate it. It is not a detailed “how to” guide but the starting point of a wider conversation about what organisations can do to address loneliness.