Ethics Sage Speaks Out About the Disconnect Between Work and Workplace Happiness
I am not surprised that workplace loneliness is on the rise. It started during Covid when many employees worked from home. A lot of employees felt they were just as productive this way and were able to make their own schedule for work while taking care of personal matters. It also may feel more relaxed to work at home and avoid workplace distractions.
Happiness, in all senses, means to seek meaning from work, and the following is why this is so hard to gain in today’s work environment.
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report
Workplace loneliness remains a significant challenge for many organizations. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report, one in five employees worldwide frequently felt lonely the the previous work day.
Estelle Izuno, vice president of people at Actalent—a global provider of engineering and science talent solutions serving nearly 30,000 consultants and over 4,500 clients—has identified troubling patterns in employee wellbeing.
“There was always a level of loneliness in the workplace,” she says. “Many factors contribute to the experience of loneliness.” However, Izuno notes that workplace loneliness intensified during the pandemic when digital communications replaced face-to-face interactions, and the quality of workplace communication has continued to deteriorate for many workers since then.
A clear correlation exists between employee disengagement and feelings of loneliness. Gallup research indicates that engaged employees are 64% less likely to report feeling lonely compared to their disengaged counterparts. According to Gallup, this stems from engaged workers finding meaning in their work and feeling connected to both their teams and organizations. Employees who say their opinion counts are 39% less likely to be lonely, and those who get to do what they do best every day are 37% less likely to be lonely.
Creating a Workplace Environment to Combat Loneliness
Izuno emphasizes the crucial role of workplace leaders in creating an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing loneliness. “If you create the right environment, people will open up,” she explains, adding that employees need to feel safe and supported first.
Loneliness is more prevalent among employees younger than age 35 than it is for those aged 35 and older. The same percentages of working men and working women report loneliness: each 20%. Job levels also had little association with loneliness.
Of all the variables Gallup analyzed, work location shows the biggest differences in employees’ experiences with loneliness. Fully remote employees report significantly higher levels of loneliness (25%) than do those who work exclusively on-site (16%) — hybrid workers fall in between at 21%.
Social isolation and chronic loneliness have devastating effects on physical and mental health. Harvard Professor and Gallup Senior Scientist Lisa Berkman and her colleagues studied the relationship between social and community ties and mortality rates over a nine-year span. The risk of mortality among people who lacked community and social ties was two times greater than that of people who had many social contacts. These differences were independent of physical health, socioeconomic status and health practices.
What Employers Need to Do
Pursuing engagement holistically may be the answer. AI has helpful advice on this matter. It means building a supportive ecosystem across multiple areas.
- Meaningful Work: Giving employees tasks that match their strengths and absorb their attention so they feel a sense of purpose and progress.
- Strong Manager Relationships: Training leaders to show genuine respect, offer clear feedback, and recognize contributions.
- Collaborative Culture: Designing workflows where people naturally team up to solve problems rather than working in isolated silos.
- Psychological Safety: Creating an environment where employees feel safe speaking up, asking for support, and being honest about stress or burnout.
- Balanced Policies: Supporting team connection and flexibility—especially for remote or hybrid workers—rather than treating isolation as an individual failing.
My advice for employers is that high engagement at work may be the answer. Key elements of high engagement include believing someone at work cares about you and having a strong work connection (or “best friend at work”). Engagement drives people to reach out and build trust rather than pull inward.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, PhD, on November 5, 2026. Dr. Mintz is a professor emeritus from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. You can contact Steve at: smintz@calpoly.edu. Visit his website to learn more about his activities.