The Hidden Cost of Loneliness in the Workplace

Loneliness is more than just a personal struggle—it’s a workplace challenge with profound impacts on your team and bottom line. Sunny’s newest report uncovers the unseen toll of workplace isolation and loneliness, revealing the financial and human costs that organizations can’t afford to ignore.

Drawing on recent research, this report illuminates the connection between employee loneliness and outcomes like productivity, turnover, and healthcare costs. By understanding these dynamics, businesses can take meaningful action to create a culture of connection and resilience.

Key Findings

• Lonely employees take 5.7 additional stress-related sick days annually, costing $1,590 per employee. These costs disrupt productivity and team dynamics.
• Health-related expenses for each lonely employee add up to $1,986 annually due to increased risks of depression, diabetes, heart disease, and anxiety.
• Lonely employees are nearly twice as likely to quit, incurring an average turnover cost of $9,737 per person—impacting morale, continuity, and institutional knowledge.

Why This Report Matters

Loneliness is a costly business issue, rooted in the absence of simple human connection. Organizations that address this growing trend can reduce its annual $13,309 cost per lonely employee while gaining significant benefits: healthier, more engaged teams and stronger business outcomes.

At Sunny, we believe in empowering organizations to tackle challenges with informed, impactful solutions. This report is a call to action: to recognize loneliness, understand its costs, and foster workplaces where everyone feels valued and supported.

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About the author

Steven Crane, MS, is Head of Social Connection Science at Sunny, Head of the Social Engagement Pillar with Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, Researcher at Stanford University, and Founder of Synaptic Insights Consulting.  His current research and innovation work in these roles is focused on how to help people change behavior to cultivate meaningful social relationships.