Loneliness and social isolation means many young workers are beginning to yearn for the office!
A report from health insurance firm Bupa has found four in 10 of 16-to 24-year-olds are now unhappy with working from home, and want a traditional office to go to!
Many of these workers began their careers during the Covid pandemic and have never experienced a fully office-based role. They feel they have missed out of having supportive colleagues to talk to, socialising at lunchtime, and evenings in town with friends.
Bupa found that a lack of support from employers was an issue for those feeling isolated, with a fifth of young workers (21%) saying their workplace does not supply mental health support.
Dr Naveen Puri, medical director of Bupa UK, warned that loneliness in the workplace has significant implications for both physical and mental health.
“Loneliness can have a devastating impact on our mental and physical health, with knock-on effects on depression, anxiety, stress and type 2 diabetes,” he said. “We’ve seen loneliness become an increasing problem in our personal lives, but it’s worrying that we’re also seeing it in the workplace.”
