Loneliness at work: a cross-sectional study on prevalence and correlates in a representative sample of employees in Germany

Loneliness at work is increasingly recognized as a public health concern, yet population-representative data on its prevalence and correlates among employees remain scarce. The present cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of three facets of loneliness at work—perceived aloneness, perceived exclusion, and the feeling of loneliness—in employees in Germany and explores their sociodemographic and job-related correlates. Data comes from the third wave of the nationally representative Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA), collected in Germany in 2023/24.

Employees aged 25–65 were included in the analyses (N = 7,798). Loneliness was assessed using two items capturing perceived aloneness and perceived exclusion at work as well as one item directly assessing how often employees feel lonely at work. Correlates were age, gender, disability, skill level, leadership position, type of contract, working part-time vs. full-time, working from home as well as frequency of interactions with colleagues and frequency of interactions with customers and patients.

Prevalence estimates were calculated using survey weights. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify correlates. More than one in four employees in Germany (26.3%, 95% CI: 25.1–27.5) reported feeling alone at work, i.e., lacking companionship of colleagues at least sometimes.

About 17% (16.9%, 15.9–18.0) reported feeling excluded and eight per cent (7.9%, 7.2–8.7) reported feeling lonely at work at least sometimes when asked directly. In multivariable logistic regression, less frequent contact with colleagues was related to feeling alone, feeling excluded and feeling lonely at work. Having a fixed-term contract was associated with higher odds of feeling excluded (OR = 1.39, 95% CI:1.04–1.86) and feeling lonely (OR = 1.46, 1.00-2.11).

Being in a leadership position was associated with lower odds of feeling excluded at work (OR = 0.82, 0.68–0.99). Loneliness at work is common among German employees and varies across its facets. Modifiable workplace factors, particularly the frequency of collegial interaction, are associated with work-related loneliness.

The findings suggest that prevention strategies should ensure sufficient opportunities for social interaction during working hours and pay particular attention to employees in fixed-term positions. Loneliness is prevalent in the general population, as studies from various countries have shown [e.g., 1,2]. Given its drastic detrimental health consequences3,4,5,6, loneliness is now regarded as a major challenge in public health science and practice as a current report from the WHO Commission on Social Connection shows7.