Workplace & organizational connection
Research and practical resources examining how social connection, belonging, workplace relationships, and broader social wellbeing influence employee health, performance, productivity and organizational health.
Social Connections and Loneliness in OECD Countries
OECD, 2025
A broad international report examining how social connection affects employment, health, education, civic life, and economic outcomes. It specifically notes that loneliness is associated with poorer job performance, lower productivity, absenteeism, and unemployment, which makes it a strong bridge between social health and organizational outcomes.
Read the report: Social Connections and Loneliness in OECD Countries
Workplace and Non-Workplace Loneliness: A Study on Risk Factors and Impacts on Absenteeism and Mental Health Among Employees in Spain
Domènech-Abella and colleagues, 2025
A study of 5,400 workers that distinguishes loneliness at work from loneliness outside work. Both were independently associated with absenteeism and poorer mental health, which is exactly the broader connection you are trying to make.
Read the study: Workplace and Non-Workplace Loneliness
Loneliness Influences Avoidable Absenteeism and Turnover Intention Reported by Adult Workers in the United States
Bowers and colleagues, 2021
A U.S. study of 5,927 employed adults finding that workers reporting greater loneliness also reported significantly more stress-related absenteeism and stronger intentions to leave their jobs.
Read the study: Loneliness Influences Avoidable Absenteeism and Turnover Intention
Work Design Principle #3: Improve Social Relationships in the Workplace
Work and Well-Being Initiative
An evidence-based guide examining how supportive relationships, peer support, belonging, and teamwork can be strengthened through the way work itself is designed.
Explore the guide: Improve Social Relationships in the Workplace
Loneliness in the Workplace: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic review and meta-analysis
A synthesis of 49 studies finding that workplace loneliness was associated with lower job performance and satisfaction and higher burnout. The authors also caution that much of the evidence is cross-sectional, so these associations should not be treated as simple proof of causation.
Read the review: Loneliness in the Workplace