Why workplace loneliness matters

A cartoon of two people standing at a coffee bar having a coffee, set on a pale pink background

A staggering 42% of people say they have no friends at work - yet this is the place where we spend a third of our lives. Research shows that meaningful connections at work are vital for our wellbeing and that they boost productivity, collaboration and loyalty to an organisation.

While many factors contribute to loneliness at work, the Loneliness Lab is particularly interested in the structural drivers of loneliness, and specifically a previously overlooked aspect of workplace research, the physical environment.

Contributing factors are interconnected: physical design influences how we feel and behave in the office; while workplace culture also affects how we interact in a space.

“ The workplace factors affecting loneliness include organisational culture, such as the core values and management awareness of loneliness; work-life balance, including workload and work hours; workstyle, such as remote working and agile working; and physical environment, of workplaces and other spaces, including the layout and facilities.”

NIGEL OSELAND, ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST

So What leads to meaningful connection in the workplace?
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At IQL our workspaces are designed with wellbeing in mind, which is why many forward-thinking businesses have chosen to move to an office in Stratford.

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