Loneliness and the Workplace

Abstract

Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a public health problem, especially under Covid-19 when social distancing has disrupted people's way of living and working. Not only is loneliness detrimental for health, but growing evidence shows that it is associated with a range of undesirable workplace outcomes. Our symposium puts together four papers that discuss antecedents, outcomes and possible intervention strategies to alleviate loneliness in the workplace. It is timely in terms of encouraging meaningful conversations and sharing research around loneliness in the workplace. Overall, the presentations contribute to an emerging and important literature base on how loneliness intersects with organizational life. Loneliness tends to be a taboo subject yet data supports the notion that it is a “real” phenomenon amongst workers. The starting point, as illustrated with the proposed presentations, is to develop an understanding of the experience of loneliness in the workplace, and to use this understanding to develop multi-faceted interventions to help alleviate the distress, taking into account the individual and the organizational context. Workplace Loneliness, Ego Depletion, and Cyberloafing Presenter: Hongling Yang; Guangdong Industry Polytechnic China Presenter: Zhibin Lin; Durham U. Presenter: Xiao Chen; Huazhong U. of Science and Technology Presenter: Jian Peng; Guangzhou U. Social Conversations at Work and Loneliness Presenter: Antonia Dietmann; U. of London A look at work loneliness antecedents in time of COVID-19 Presenter: Hakan Ozcelik; California State U. Sacramento Presenter: Arianna M. Beetz; The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania Attachment styles and loneliness: The role of leader-follower relationship quality Presenter: Queyu Ren; U. of Sheffield Presenter: Anna Topakas; U. of Sheffield Presenter: Malcolm Patterson; U. of Sheffield