The Australian workforce is becoming more lonely – and it might be a sign of underlying psychosocial hazards, say these experts. Here are three ways HR can address systemic workplace issues that can contribute to loneliness.

One in two people living in Australia report some form of social disconnection, either reporting feeling lonely or socially isolated, according to new research.

It’s a growing systemic issue which employers cannot ignore, says Professor Michelle Lim, CEO and Scientific Chair of Ending Loneliness Together.

“Employers might think that there isn’t a need for a separate strategy to address loneliness in the workplace because it’s covered by mental health policies, but they need to think of this as a preventative measure,” she says.

Lim defines workplace loneliness as a feeling of distress which arises when your work relationships are not meeting your current needs.

“[It’s when employees] feel like no one has got their back – no one understands them – within the work context… You don’t have anyone to turn to or talk to even though you have a manager or colleagues.”

What’s causing this uptick in loneliness? It’s a combination of factors, according to the research – from remote work leading employees to substitute personal interactions with online connection to the rising cost of living making social activities more expensive. Today in Sydney, ducking out for lunch with your colleagues can cost you in excess of $20.

Around 40 per cent of leaders are also experiencing compassion fatigue, leaving them feeling ill-equipped to provide the mental health support their teams need.

Here’s how HR can spot the signs of loneliness, address them with care and meet their obligations to manage psychosocial risk.

Do employers have a legal obligation to address workplace loneliness?

While workplace loneliness is not listed as a standalone psychosocial risk, it’s often a symptom of underlying work design issues, and is a warning sign which should be heeded, says Fay Calderone, Partner at Hall & Wilcox.

“It may point to poor support structures, ineffective leadership, low psychological safety, inadequate communication, poor workplace relationships, excessive remote working without connection mechanisms, or cultures where people feel excluded or unable to speak up.”

Under Australia’s work health and safety framework, employers have a duty to protect both physical and psychological health, she adds.

Employers therefore need to assess whether aspects of the workplace are creating or contributing to the employee’s experience of workplace loneliness in a way that creates a foreseeable risk of psychological harm.

“An employee reporting that loneliness is affecting their ability to work should be treated as a potential psychosocial risk signal rather than dismissed as a personal issue,” says Calderone. 

“Legal exposure can arise where an employer becomes aware – or ought reasonably to have become aware – that workplace factors may be contributing to psychological harm, and fails to take reasonably practicable steps to investigate and manage the risk.

“In my experience, organisations that focus only on ‘fixing’ the person may miss the opportunity to fix the environment… When employees feel connected, supported and safe to speak up, the risk of psychological harm is reduced, legal exposure decreases, and organisational performance improves.”

Calderone advises employers to take the concern seriously and consult with employees to understand what workplace factors may be contributing to their distress, considering whether there are underlying issues relating to work design, leadership, support or workplace relationships.

Employers should then implement reasonably practicable controls where risks are identified. 

“An employee reporting that loneliness is affecting their ability to work should be treated as a potential psychosocial risk signal rather than dismissed as a personal issue.” – Fay Calderone, Partner, Hall & Wilcox.

A three-part framework to manage workplace loneliness

So, how can HR help? Lim encourages HR to focus on cultivating a culture of connection, offering three practical steps HR can take to redesign work and supply moments for more meaningful workplace connection.

1. Put connection on the management agenda

Lim advises HR to reflect on the business case for creating a culture of connection. 

Mentally unhealthy workplaces cost Australian businesses up to $39 billion each year. 

“Do you want to be spending all that time and money paying insurance to cover mental health costs, or do we want to work upstream?” she says.

“We’re talking about taking action before employees get physically unwell, mentally unwell, and less productive at work.”

While recent reports have shown that young people are suffering unprecedented levels of loneliness, those in the 45-54 year old range are the most lonely and socially isolated, according to the Ending Loneliness Together State of the Nation 2026 report, says Lim.

“They’re taking care of young kids. They’re taking out older parents. They’re probably going through a lot of social changes – marriage breakdowns, relationship breakdowns – and then they also have work that’s really taking up a lot of their time.”

Ensuring employees feel meaningfully connected at work is key to retaining them and supporting them to productively contribute to the organisation.

Measuring the prevalence of loneliness in the workplace can also help make the case for connection. 

The Work Loneliness Scale, developed by Professor Sarah L. Wright’s team at the UC Business School, offers a tool to translate employee experiences of loneliness in your organisation into quantifiable data to back the need for connection in your organisation.

“In my experience, organisations that focus only on ‘fixing’ the person may miss the opportunity to fix the environment… When employees feel connected, supported and safe to speak up, the risk of psychological harm is reduced, legal exposure decreases, and organisational performance improves.” – Fay Calderone, Partner, Hall & Wilcox.

2. Build social opportunities into the rhythm of work

Drawing on Wright’s work, Lim raises the importance of designing ‘slack’ into workflow.

“We often prioritise productivity over connection and, while that seems sensible in that moment, what we also know is that when we invest in someone more holistically, they’re so much more likely to give back in their work.”

One way to support casual connection is to reorganise workflows to allow employees time to connect with each other. 

Lim also encourages HR to embed social connection into the workplace, which could look like having Friday lunches together or providing coffee during a set time, baked into the weekly or monthly schedule.

She also points to the importance of making room for connection, which is the theme for this year’s Loneliness Awareness Week.

HR can make room by:

• Creating spaces for informal interaction like a communal kitchen, a quiet lounge or an outdoor area where people naturally gather
• Setting up online group chats around interests that staff can join
• Starting meetings with a moment to share recommendations or updates (ensuring this is optional)
• Creating a welcome experience for new starters, such as a buddy system.

The priority should be keeping it consistent, simple and aligned with what employees actually want.

“For example, I really don’t think ‘team-building’ activities – like going on a once-off retreat – are worthwhile. They’re very expensive and it’s not what employees actually value.”

Instead, she suggests circulating a survey to determine which social activities your workforce actually wants to see and embedding them as recurring, routine but optional bookings in your organisation’s calendar.

Lim reminds HR that the responsibility to create meaningful connections doesn’t have to remain on their shoulders. She suggests leaning on employees who are interested in championing initiatives, like this employee at Medibank who looks after a group chat where her neurodiverse peers keep in touch daily.

“We often prioritise productivity over connection and, while that seems sensible in that moment, what we also know is that when we invest in someone more holistically, they’re so much more likely to give back in their work.” – Professor Michelle Lim, CEO and Scientific Chair, Ending Loneliness Together

3. Consider increased flexibility as a way to help employees feel heard

For remote employees, Lim encourages HR to think about how to engage them consistently. This might include advocating for a budget to bring them in for regular onsites to connect meaningfully with colleagues.

However, she warns that HR shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking employees who work all their hours in-person are immune from loneliness.

“In work situations where there’s a paternalistic approach forcing employees to come into the office everyday, that is very detrimental to their wellbeing,” she says.

Offering employees the flexibility to have some say over where and how they work helps them feel heard and that their feelings are appreciated, helping to combat the sense of being forgotten that often leads to workplace loneliness.

Training is the way forward

HR is uniquely positioned to help architect a culture of connection, but there is a need for managers and HR themselves to upskill in conversations about loneliness in the workplace, says Lim.

One of the most common mistakes Lim notes is when managers take offence to an employee’s admission that they feel lonely at work.

“Do you think that person will ever reach out again? Probably not,” she says.

“Managers are not trained to identify loneliness or to talk about loneliness in a way that’s helpful and respectful. We need to upskill our workforce to have those safe conversations.”

All information, content and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.

🧰 HR’s career resource toolkit

• Learning: Enrol in this Health, Safety and Wellbeing course to elevate your understanding of how to create and maintain a healthy, safe and inclusive workplace environment. You’ll also obtain an AHRCF micro-credential for completing the course.
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• Reading: Why we need to stop calling everything burnout.