Loneliness in the workplace: the dark side of flexible work

Roy Van den Brande
Aug 29, 2017 · 3 min read

[This is a translation of an article I wrote on LinkedIn in May 2017]

Flexible Work is often seen as a blessing. I’m one of those advocates for working when and where you want, as a solution to a lot of the problems we now face in HR. But there’s also a lot written about the downsides of those flexible work schedules. Your private life gets ‘contaminated’ by your worklife, it’s harder to create a collaborative work culture and it’s more difficult to see your part in the greater whole of the company. But we tend to forget about the people who do go to work and feel isolated because they’re alone at work all day.

“I’m really tearing up and I can’t get myself to work”

That’s how one of my clients described the feeling she had after another day all alone at work, even though she works in a team of 6. There are practically no rules about minimum attendance. There has to be at least one person to pick up the phone, so this means most of the time there’s just one person.

In a webinar I watched from Vlerick Business School, a study was cited which stated that flexible working arrangements were a huge attractor. But in my experience you either love it or hate it. A couple of factors are at play here.

Flexwork, but mostly on Fridays, Mondays and when the weather’s nice

Something can be said about consistency. When there’s a lack of rules, people plan their time according to their private life. So they prefer moments like Monday of Friday to work from home. Without rules, this could mean that the most assertive take the best hours and the few who have to come to work dread the moments they’re understaffed. One of my clients for example, has to do most of the intakes on the phone because on Monday and Friday she’s the only one at the office.

I try to convince employers to organize an afterwork on Friday or a bi-weekly team breakfast on Monday. There will still be people who prefer to plan their home days around the weekend, but most of them wont. And you’re not only improving relationships between colleagues by organizing fun activities, you’re also relieving some of the stress from the people who were alone on the job before that.

Each sector is different

Some sectors are more individual than others. I work a lot with teachers and social workers. For these people a way to vent about their work is a must (and actually is thought in college with courses like Intervision and Supervision). How prone a job is to burn-out can give a good indication how important interaction is on the job.

Employees can take the matter into their own hands though. I’ve worked with some to set up a Facebook-group to keep the interaction among colleagues alive. Or you can organize mastermind sessions with peers, preferably from different organizations.

Everyone is different

Everyone is different. Some don’t need a lot of interaction, others do. I noticed that most of the time, people gravitate towards sectors that align with their need for interaction. What surprised me the most in all the people I worked with, was that I don’t see a link between the introversion/extraversion spectrum and their need for interaction. Introverts need people too sometimes.

During the job interview, you can be mindful of the company culture. Ask about it until you’re certain enough that it’s what you are looking for. As HR you can find other solutions. For example, if the flexible working conditions are important, but you don’t want to isolate people, try to look at co-workingspaces for the people who want to be among other people.

Don’t forget the ‘leftovers’

If this article made you think about a colleague or maybe yourself, you know what to do. People who are often alone, be it on the job or at home, need regular feedback. And involve people in looking for solutions that are good for the whole company.

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Roy Van den Brande

Written by

In my worklife I’m a business development manager & career coach at a law firm. At home I’m a tech & gaming (pc and tabletop) enthusiast and an avid reader.

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