I look forward to the day we stop trying to change the world and instead change ourselves (which will, of course, end up changing the world).
Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
21–30 of 112 posts
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
You’re not jaded, just pragmatic and well adjusted. Work is not for friends, it is where we go to earn an income to support ourselves financially. Maximize your income at work (while minimizing time spent working) to maximize your happiness outside of work (hobbies, family, side project, working towards financial independence, whatever). I am working on starting my own business to hire family and friends; for me, tim…
Mixing money and family/friends sounds like it will end horribly. What happens when you don't break even and you need to fire people?
I would say, just brief them at the start "I might fire you tomorrow, go in expecting that, we'll set you up something else if I do. Don't rely on this." Kind of like the way you lend money to friends.
That said, you probably shouldn't lend money to friends.
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#23Don't worry. If you're lonely, the company's ObserveIT instance will notice it based on your behavior, automatically log it in your profile, and notify HR. Then your corporate HR department will review your case and, if necessary, put you on a Happiness Improvement Plan to help get you on track, happy, and productive. Note: Failure to comply with the Happiness Improvement Plan, or to make adequate progress in happiness and/or productivity, may be grounds for further action up to and including termination.
Have a nice day!
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#24The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…
I think your heart in the right place, but your solution is part of the problem - you don't have a community outside of work, because your community interactions are "tainted" by your ERG association.
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#25The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…
I think your heart in the right place, but your solution is part of the problem - you don't have a community outside of work, because your community interactions are "tainted" by your ERG association.
These relationships can extend far beyond work. I've had dinner at the home of department heads where work related topics barely came up, I've played soccer and became work out buddies with folks. I know others who babysit each others kids and schedule vacations together based off of relationships established through these networks. As time goes on the fact you work for the same company can become just a footnote if you want it to.
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#26The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…
You are 100% correct. You gotta participate in your company's groups/clubs. Create one if one doesn't exist. We are social creatures.
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think your heart in the right place, but your solution is part of the problem - you don't have a community outside of work, because your community interactions are "tainted" by your ERG association.
These relationships can extend far beyond work. I've had dinner at the home of department heads where work related topics barely came up, I've played soccer and became work out buddies with folks. I know others who babysit each others kids and schedule vacations together based off of relationships established through these networks. As time goes on the fact you work for the same company can become just a footnote if…
It makes sense. Being in close proximity and constant contact helps with becoming friends. I have cultivated many friendships with people I've met with work and it's made my life so much better.
Too small right now to have ERGs that don't apply to large groups but the soccer team, the basketball team, our running group, and those who cycle tend to form friendships that Grease the wheels of interaction at work, apart from it just being nice to have friends.
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#28So much vitriol here. There is a middle ground. The only friends and social interactions someone has shouldn't be related to work, as that tends to be quite exploitive, but there shouldn't be no friendship or social interaction at/through working either.
If you don't have a handful of people you work with who take a genuine interest in each other both professionally and personally you're missing out on some potentially long lasting and very meaningful relationships. It makes the hard days a lot nicer when you have someone you can take a walk with, have coffee or a drink after work. We're social creatures, not everything has to be some damn transactional.
No need to be close friends with every colleague, but after a decade or so of work I hope everyone would at least have a couple current or former coworkers that you'd invite to a wedding, Christmas party, summer bbq, etc and be genuinely happy to have them there.
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#29The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…
I think your heart in the right place, but your solution is part of the problem - you don't have a community outside of work, because your community interactions are "tainted" by your ERG association.
The original article won't load but I disagree. While building your entire social life around work and work friends can be a bit dangerous, I think ERGs have an important role to play in combating loneliness at work.
Work can be a bit isolating when you have a very different background from a lot of your coworkers. Having a group that shares some aspect of your background that you can talk to about that shared perspective with can help a lot.
Companies should go a bit farther than making groups that are built race/religion/gender lines to bridge that gap. I've been at a lot of companies where there was some shared activity that "everybody does" after work - something that not literally everybody actually does. There should be other ways of including those people.
Often something like that can reflect a cultural background or gender (be it "everyone" is in a fantasy football league or "everyone" is competitive about a certain video game or "everyone" goes out drinking on Thursday).
If you're a member of a small group, be it because you're black, female, LGBT, have children (or don't), whatever it might be - it's easy to feel lonely and marginalized and like you don't have a community at the workplace; it helps if the organization promotes a way to feel like you do.
So that it's not just "oh everyone is talking about that thing I don't do again".
Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work
#30I do not want social interactions at work. I want to go home by 5 pm so I can be with my wife, our friends, and attend my mens club and knights of columbus meetings. If, in the 8 hours I am at work, I become friends with someone, then fine, but work is for money, not friends