Sydney, Ferdie Botha (University of Melbourne), Mark Dady (University of New South Wales, Sydney)
Loneliness in the workplace is greatest among men who have a traditional mindset of being the breadwinner {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Sydney, loneliness hits different people at different times, and it’s well-known that men are less likely than women to talk about their feelings or ask for help, but our research found that men’s work arrangements are a big factor.
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While loneliness was highest among men in their late 40s, it occurred at other times too, and was often shaped by perceptions of their careers and income.
This suggests that social expectations surrounding the workplace and work have important implications for men’s experiences of loneliness.
Measuring loneliness
Our findings are based on analysis of annual data from 12,117 Australian men aged 15 to 98 years, collected over 19 years for the Australian Household, Income and Labour Trends Survey.
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We measured loneliness by examining men’s responses to a question asking whether they agreed with the statement, “I often feel very lonely,” with responses ranging from 1 to 7.
Second, we used statistical methods to ensure that we were measuring loneliness and not a similar construct such as social isolation.
We also used methods to examine how much of the men’s loneliness was due specifically to their social relationships, and how much was due to other aspects of their lives, such as their living situation or work arrangements.
Job Role
Because loneliness is a societal issue, it wasn’t surprising to see that problems in men’s social relationships — particularly romantic, friendships, and family relationships — were associated with loneliness. But we were surprised to see that work also plays a big role.
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Men who are unemployed or in unstable employment feel lonelier than men in stable employment. Unemployment affects personal identity and can limit the social connections that work provides. Unemployment also limits income, making it harder to afford social activities. Unstable “gig” work is unpredictable and often involves long hours alone, which can disrupt work-life balance and leave people feeling isolated.
Our research also suggests that societal expectations exacerbate loneliness for some men. We measured the extent to which men agreed with the statement, “It’s bad for a relationship if a woman earns more than a man.”
Men who believed they should be the primary breadwinner in their household, especially middle-aged men, felt lonelier than those who didn’t believe that.
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This suggests that traditional views of work in heterocentric relationships may have a negative impact on social connections.
This once-prevalent approach is not only damaging to relationships, but also unrealistic at a time when surviving on a single income is becoming increasingly difficult for many families.
Improving men’s personal relationships is not the only way to reduce male loneliness: the working sector and the social pressures surrounding work also need to be adapted.
Changing social norms
Public stereotypes that make men feel solely responsible for the household income need to change. Public awareness and education campaigns can help change gender norms and stereotypes by increasing knowledge and awareness, which could reduce loneliness.
Helping men achieve a better work-life balance helps everyone. But such change requires a big cultural shift that will take time. For retired men in particular, a short-term solution is volunteering.
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Volunteering provides purpose and an opportunity for connection, but recent evidence suggests volunteering does not appear to have returned to pre-COVID levels.
How governments can help
Workplace casualization and the growth of the gig economy offer greater flexibility but also reduce job security. Our research shows that job insecurity and unemployment rates contribute to men’s loneliness.
The government’s changes to the Fair Work Act should help reduce job insecurity by enabling the Fair Work Commission to set fair minimum standards, including allowing “employee-like” workers, such as Uber drivers, who work through digital platforms, to access dispute resolution.
Governments can also support causes that interest men by guaranteeing regular funding for programs like Men’s Sheds and opportunities to work with animals.
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Social prescriptions – where GPs and other health professionals connect patients to resources and activities to improve health and reduce loneliness – can also involve men in roles that best suit their needs and interests.
How employers can help
Thankfully, the workplace can do a lot to reduce feelings of loneliness. Recent research suggests that employers can:
1) Create opportunities for social connection, for example by designing common areas in the office to support connection and by carving out time for activities outside of work.
2) Promote work-life balance while using virtual spaces such as online dinners to foster workplace connections and support flexible, remote and potentially isolated workers.
3) Cultivate a people-focused culture by giving employees greater autonomy, tolerating mistakes, and providing opportunities for mentorship.
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The relationship between managers and employees is particularly important to well-being because managers can shape working conditions, model positive behaviors, and improve employee knowledge, yet few interventions target this area. AMS
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