Office presence alone cannot fix workplace loneliness: Research found

Simply bringing employees back to the office may not be enough to address workplace loneliness, with new Australian research suggesting that physical proximity does not necessarily translate into meaningful connection.

Research by employee assistance provider Assure, based on responses from 856 workers, found that employees working fully onsite recorded an average loneliness score of 5.5 on the Loneliness Scale. 

Remote workers recorded a slightly higher score of 5.7, while hybrid employees had the lowest score at 5.1. All three groups remained within the scale's moderate loneliness range.

The findings challenge the idea that workplace design or attendance policies alone can determine how connected employees feel.

Connection remains a challenge

The survey points to a broader issue around employees' sense of belonging. Six in 10 respondents said they lacked companionship, while 57% said they felt left out at least some of the time. Another 63% reported feeling isolated.

Michele Grow, chair of Assure's Mental Health Advisory Board and CEO Mental Health and Wellness at APM, said being surrounded by colleagues does not necessarily prevent an employee from feeling alone.

"An employee can attend an office every day, sit in meetings and speak with colleagues, but still feel disconnected," Grow said.

"This is not an argument against offices or flexible work. It shows that neither location automatically creates meaningful connection.

"The focus needs to shift from where people work to the quality of those relationships — whether managers genuinely know their teams and whether staff feel genuinely included," Grow said.

A wider loneliness problem

The workplace findings form part of a broader picture of social disconnection across Australia. Data cited by social discovery platform Zeeën estimates that about 3.7 million Australians aged 15 and over often experience loneliness.

People aged 35 to 44 recorded the highest loneliness rate among working-age Australians in 2024, at 17%, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Psychotherapist Sarah Buckle said the issue cannot be attributed to workplace arrangements alone.

Changes in family structures, international migration, remote and hybrid work and the growing dependence on digital communication have altered how people develop everyday social relationships.

"The desire for connection has not disappeared, but there are more gaps people have to bridge to achieve it," Buckle said. "When people lose those anchors — particularly after moving somewhere new — loneliness can become tied up with anxiety, fear of rejection and a sense that they don't fit in."

What HR can change

For HR teams, the findings point towards a shift from location-led approaches to relationship-led interventions.

Assure's report, The silent disconnect, recommends making social connection part of leadership responsibility. It calls on organisations to help managers identify signs of isolation, establish informal opportunities for interaction and create multiple avenues through which employees can connect.

The approach, the report suggests, needs to reflect differences in employee needs rather than relying on a single company-wide solution.

Small interactions matter

Buckle advocates for more informal and consistent opportunities to build familiarity, rather than placing the burden on employees to form friendships through organised workplace events.

"A better starting point can be micro-connections," Buckle said. "It might be going to the same café regularly, walking your dog in the same place or joining an activity where you begin seeing the same people repeatedly."

For employers, the findings underline that an employee's physical presence is only one part of workplace connection. Creating an environment where people feel seen, included and able to build relationships may require more deliberate action from managers and HR teams.