This study examined how workplace loneliness and the ability to work from home affect various work outcomes. Using a theory that highlights the importance of feeling connected (relatedness) and having control over work (autonomy), researchers from California State University, Occidental College and The WorkPlace Group gathered data from 391 working adults to understand these dynamics.
The study found employees who feel lonely at work tend to show lower commitment to the organization, perceive less support from coworkers and supervisors, engage less in helpful behaviors, and rate their performance lower. Dynamics which lead to employee turnover, higher recruitment costs and less-than-ideal work cultures. Importantly, workplace loneliness is not dependent on where employees work but rather on the quality of their relationships with peers and supervisors.
Being in an office is insufficient for curbing workplace loneliness; in-office employees can be just as lonely as their remote and hybrid counterparts. Many practical applications for work-from-home policies and how to mitigate loneliness at work for in-office and remote employees are provided…