By Jane Randel, Partner, CommsCollectiv

Few people on the planet can say they have not felt lonely at some point. It’s almost inevitable. But for many, that feeling persists, impacting their lives, their health, and their jobs.

Once unthinkable to talk about, it’s hard to open a newspaper, magazine, or Substack without running into at least one article that looks at loneliness and social isolation in our society. Declared an epidemic in 2023 by former Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the need for social connection in every facet of life is undeniable.

But social disconnection is not just a public health issue, it’s a business issue often hiding in plain sight, with wide ranging impact on recruitment, retention, reputation, and consumer engagement. Consider:

  • Globally, 1 in 4 people report feeling lonely with 58% of Americans experiencing loneliness – consistent with pre-pandemic rates.
  • One in five employees experiences daily loneliness at work.
  • Gen Z is the loneliest generation (79%), followed by Millennials (71%).

Proactively addressing these challenges can unlock measurable impacts on productivity, innovation, employee health and well-being, and long-term economic performance, driving both business value and social impact.

There is also a protective factor. Those who feel connected are likely to have better overall health, increased feelings of belonging, and improved job satisfaction and engagement.

Building Connection

Undertaking employee wellness efforts, many companies will say they are also addressing loneliness. However, a January 2026 article in Psychology Today points out the futility of taking the “same approach for everyone—group activities, lunch-and-learns, wellness apps” and being shocked that half a year later, nothing has changed.

That’s because one size rarely fits all. People relate differently, have varied interests, and time commitments. As the article aptly points out, “Personalized interventions outperformed generic approaches by 95% in a simulation—same cost, better targeting.”

Dr. Constance Hadley offers similar advice in her article We’re Still Lonely at Work (HBR, Nov-Dec 2024), identifying where companies go wrong with the best of intentions. Her research suggests incorporating more “practical techniques” for increasing in the workplace. The first step: Be intentional and put loneliness on the agenda. The second step: don’t try to address this issue in a vacuum. Before you do anything, measure the prevalence of the problem and who it impacts the most.

Building a Coalition

Recognizing that business has the power to drive real change, last December, the Foundation for Social Connection  launched the Corporate Working Group for Social Connection (CWG), bringing together forward-thinking private sector organizations across industries to help reduce loneliness and social isolation and improve social connection. By itself, the network is beneficial, but the CWG’s true value lies in the opportunity for businesses to learn from top researchers, share best practices with each other, measure and improve social connection (internally and externally), and drive culture change.

Founding members include Cigna, Match Group, the NFL, Nivea (Beiersdorf), Signet Jewelers, Spotify, and Workday, but there is a strong desire to grow this group exponentially.

Building a Movement

Americans spend 30% of their time at work, and a brand’s influence reaches beyond company walls to employee families, communities, consumers, and the broader culture. That means, the more businesses large and small that focus on uniting people and helping them find where they belong, the bigger collective impact we can make.

Small and local. Large and global. Imagine an international moment of connection. A day, an hour, a minute where people stop feeling alone and apart and instead realize how much stronger we are together.

Please reach out to me directly at jane@commscollectiv.com if you are interested in learning more.