Remote & hybrid working | What to do if your team are struggling with loneliness

As Loneliness Awareness Week continues, we’re looking at the rise of loneliness in the workplace. Recent research from Tanner’s 2022 global culture report, which analysed data provided by 38,000 HR leaders and execs, found that 62% of British workers admit they feel less engaged with family and friends than they did a year ago, with a quarter saying they feel disengaged from colleagues.

This points to a growing loneliness crisis in the workplace. The pandemic – which saw larger numbers of people working remotely than ever before – no doubt contributed to this. Historically, a large proportion of people’s social interactions was with work colleagues, and many people have met best friends or even partners through work – but this has become much harder now remote and hybrid work have been normalised. Chats over the watercooler have become messages over Teams, with Zoom quizzes instead of Friday drinks after work.