Unhappiness and loneliness is a personal and business issue.
Around half of U.S. adults have experienced loneliness. Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, in his 2023 81-page report, declared loneliness a lethal pandemic, equating it to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
People are becoming lonelier and unhappier despite living in a hyper-connected world. For the first time since the rankings began in 2012, the U.S. has dropped out of the top 20 countries in the recent World Happiness Report appearing on a Gallup poll. The U.S. was 15th the previous year, and self-reported happiness declined in every U.S. age group, particularly those under 30.
While this study is viewed through the lens of an individual's life overall, CEOs and organizational decision-makers should pay attention. In the workplace, where individuals spend a significant portion of their time, these issues of loneliness and unhappiness have profound implications.
Why Companies Should Care About A Unhappy and Lonely Workplace
Our personal and professional lives are dynamically intertwined and are increasingly becoming so. Three in five adults reported feelings of loneliness, which typically spills over into stress, anxiety, and depression. In Cigna's Loneliness Index data, published in the Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, show that loneliness strongly affects the organization and its bottom line.
Regarding loneliness, 62% of employed adults considered themselves lonely. However, loneliness isn't just a personal issue; it's a company issue that affects productivity, sales, talent recruiting, and retaining, plus a bevy of other factors, all equating to unnecessary bleeding of the bottom line. Also shared in the Cigna report was lonelier employees having higher rates of avoidable (stress-related) absenteeism, missing more than five additional work days per year than those who do not.
Loneliness costs employers more than $154 billion annually in lost productivity due to absenteeism. Lastly, lonelier and unhappy employees also expressed a greater intention to quit within the next 12 months, nearly twice as likely as other workers. Research from the University of Warwick published in the Journal of Labor Economics found that happy people are around 12% more productive than those who are unhappy. This boost in productivity shows up through increased creativity, engagement, motivation, and pace of work.
CEOs and leaders have a great opportunity to significantly impact their organization by focusing more on employees' happiness and to personally impact the quality of life of their team members' personal and professional lives. That said, numerous ways exist to address your organization's happiness. But here's one foundational and fundamental principle that serves as a great launching point:
A culture of wellness is a companies most valuable asset.
Workplace Physical and Mental Health
Mental health and obesity are two growing issues in society that significantly affect the workplace. The economic aftereffects from obesity and excess weight on U.S. businesses and employers amounted to a staggering $425.5 billion in 2023. Mental distress is prevalent in the workplace, with up to 85% of workers reporting the workplace affects their mental well-being.
Mental health and excess weight often go together. Research appearing in the journal Psychiatry Investigation found that individuals with excess weight had a 55% higher risk of developing depression over their lifetime, and people with depression had a 58% increased risk of obesity. Installing a health and fitness culture that tackles all fronts is no longer just an excellent addition; it's becoming increasingly necessary.
According to research from the National Safety Council and NORC at the University of Chicago, employers see a return of $4 for every dollar invested in mental health treatment. "When employees receive effective treatment for mental distress, organizations realize reduced total medical costs, increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and decreased disability costs," the study states. Creating a culture prioritizing physical and mental health is a win-win for everyone involved. Organizations can start building their healthy culture by:
- Having a physically and mentally fit CEO lead by example
- Involving and reminding everyone of the company mission and values to keep them mentally engaged
- Offering flexible work arrangements with healthy remote work boundaries
- Having various mental health resources and options available
- Providing gym memberships and fitness subsidies
- Bringing in multiple experts and resources to address issues pertinent to your team
Loneliness and unhappiness aren't merely personal struggles; they're systemic issues that impact productivity, engagement, talent retention, and, ultimately, the bottom line. However, these challenges also present opportunities for forward-thinking CEOs and organizations.
Rather than contributing to dissatisfaction, leaders can transform the workplace into a net positive by prioritizing employee well-being. By doing so, they position their companies as industry leaders, operating with a competitive advantage thanks to a happier, more innovative, and committed workforce.
