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The U.S. is struggling with a loneliness epidemic, and working in an office isn’t doing employees any favors.
Around 79% of white-collar employees have felt lonely as a result of their role within the past month, according to a new report from BSG, a research firm, in partnership with TheLi.st and Berlin Cameron. Natalie Lupiani, vice president of BSG, tells Fortune this trend has a lot to do with technology and a lack of proper support for staffers.
“For all the good that technology does, the tendency to pull back from in-person opportunities to know each other as colleagues does have an impact on increased levels of loneliness,” she says. While Lupiani notes the prevalence of hybrid and remote work may contribute to those feelings of isolation, she says flexible schedules aren’t the root cause of this loneliness. In fact, studies have debunked the myth that employees logging in from home can’t make genuine connections.
That isolation can spell big trouble for workplaces. Lonely staffers are four times more likely to be dissatisfied with their current careers, and three times more likely to feel they can’t be their authentic selves at work, according to the report. Employees struggling with loneliness are also only half as likely to feel positive about their career prospects, compared to workers who don’t grapple with the problem.
And while workers of color and white staffers feel lonely at similar rates, they differ in some important ways. Workers of color are 9% more likely to feel they can’t bring their genuine selves to work, 11% less likely to feel trusted by their managers, and 8% less likely to feel supported by coworkers compared to their white colleagues, according to the report. Lupiani chalks this up to America’s discrimination problem.
“Hearing from executives of color about their experiences, this data lines up perfectly with those qualitative insights. How women and men of color feel lonely, like it’s not an option to be their authentic selves at work,” she says. She adds that unconscious bias continues to exist in the workplace despite more education and DEI programs.
While Lupiani says that employees should take proactive measures to ease their loneliness, she says employers have a strong role to play. Companies need to commit to meaningful initiatives to connect employees at work, which can be anything from forging meaningful resource groups to routine out-of-work functions. Lupiana also suggests that bosses should be formally trained to deal with mental health issues, and promote collaborative opportunities for staffers to connect and combat isolation.
“Bringing people together with intention matters. When we have the opportunities to do that as employers and managers, we need to make sure that there are opportunities for folks to come together in-person and create actual relationships.”
Emma Burleigh
emma.burleigh@fortune.com
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