By Jennifer Gendron, Global Chief Commercial Officer at Koa Health – Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing Solutions
Work impacts peoples’ lives in myriad ways. Amid a growing global mental health crisis, the tumultuous past few years have accelerated and intensified the global mental health crisis. At the same time, it also highlighted the many ways work impacts people’s lives. And across age groups, roles, and locations, employees are dealing with loneliness.
More than half of the global workforce (55%) report feeling lonely on at least a weekly basis, with 79% identifying their coworkers as the lonely ones.[1] Linked with mental, physical, and organizational health risks, poor social connection, and the resulting feelings of isolation continue to garner attention from international organizations including the WHO, the NHS, and the U.S. Surgeon General.
Mental health and socialization are deeply linked. Connecting with others is vital to our overall sense of wellbeing. Loneliness and isolation can harm our mental and physical health, [2] ultimately affecting our ability to stay engaged and productive at work.
While socialization might not be at the top of your organization’s list of priorities, it certainly deserves some much-needed attention—especially with so many continuing to work remotely some (and, in some cases, all) of the time. Fortunately, there are many things employers and workplace leaders can do to support social connection, even with a largely remote workforce. Some core strategies include: making social connection a strategic priority; training and empowering leaders; leveraging existing resources; creating practices and workplace culture to foster connection and inclusion; putting policies in place to protect workers’ ability to nurture relationships; and considering the opportunities and challenges posed by flexible work.
At Koa Health, we know that mental health affects every aspect of people’s lives. We also understand the value of connecting with others—having a sense of community and belonging (in and outside of work) can have a positive and protective impact on employees’ mental and physical wellbeing.
Building a strong sense of community and fostering a workplace culture that supports mental health can make a positive difference in employees’ wellbeing, productivity, and overall life satisfaction. However, the stigma that keeps many people from sharing their struggles and seeking help—especially with their employers, managers, and coworkers—makes this a challenging endeavor for any organization.
But this is a challenge worth facing head-on. Understanding the link between social connection and employee mental wellbeing is the first step toward building a supportive community at work. Download our Playbook: Loneliness and mental health, to learn more about simple, everyday actions that can help your people and your organization, including:
- Making social connection a strategic priority
- Training, equipping, and empowering leaders and managers
- Leveraging existing leadership and employee training, orientation, and wellness resources
- Creating practices and a workplace culture that foster connection and inclusion
- Putting policies in place to protect workers’ ability to nurture relationships outside work
- Considering the opportunities and challenges posed by flexible work hours and arrangements
Get your free copy here.