Work-sponsored health plans aren't addressing the growth of loneliness, which leads to employees missing work and decreased productivity, according to data from Cigna's Loneliness Index shared with Becker's.
The data, which is slated to be published in the Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, surveyed nearly 6,000 employees between July 16 and Aug. 2, 2019.
Six insights:
1. The widespread presence of loneliness affected 3 in 5 (62 percent) adults before the COVID-19 pandemic. Feelings of loneliness play key roles both in employee health and work performance, according to the study.
2. On average, preventable, stress-related absences caused lonely employees to miss about five more work days than their counterparts who did not identify as lonely.
3. Employees who reported higher levels of loneliness were almost twice as likely to consider quitting their current job than employees who were less lonely.
4. The study estimates that absenteeism and productivity losses tied to preventable loneliness cost employers $154 billion each year.
5. The study said work-based factors like communication, work-life balance and social companionship play key roles in determining employee loneliness. Personal resilience and a feeling of connection outside of the workplace also play a role.
6. Employers looking to combat employee loneliness should consider actions that hit on these factors, including flexible work hours, email "blackout" periods and forming employee resource groups.