Companies know that smoking is bad for business. It’s associated with more illness and more sick days. And it costs more: extra cleaning, healthcare expenses and as much as 30% more in fire and property insurance premiums. More than a third of U.S. workplaces offered smoking cessation programs in 2020. Smoking is a problem companies don't ignore. But they do ignore something equally dangerous: social disconnection.
The Surgeon General released an advisory last week concluding that social disconnection is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., and its physical effects are making people sick. Social disconnection is the new smoking, but most workplaces see it as a personal issue, not a business one.
They couldn’t be more wrong. Disconnection costs businesses $154 billion a year through absenteeism and untold productivity loss. We’ve known for years that social isolation impairs executive function and accelerates cognitive decline. Disconnected colleagues are hurting and they’re hurting your performance and productivity. Considering that many Americans spend more time at work than with their families, deepening relationships and fostering high-quality social connections at work can be a powerful antidote. (author introduction)