FEATURE
LONELINESS: HOW HR LEADERS CAN HELP THEIR TEAMS MOVE FORWARD
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he pandemic has kept people apart. Forty per cent of employees are struggling with mental health and addiction amid the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions have left 54 per cent feeling isolated, according to Ipsos research. What can HR leaders do to help reduce Beverly Beuermann-King, CSP the impact of loneliness as we go forward? We were already forming fewer friendships than in the past. Previously, as life got busier, our social network got smaller. Then, COVID hit. Never has the entire world been subjected to such collective feelings of fear, uncertainty,
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anxiety and sorrow. Loneliness became pervasive. Children and teenagers were suddenly cutoff from their friends. Family members were often isolated from each other. Colleagues were no longer connecting at the water cooler. Physical distancing, working remotely and lockdowns have impacted our relationships and mental health, and it’s expected that the ripple effect of this will be felt for years. PEOPLE ARE NOT SEEING THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
While the switch to a virtual office with
