The CIPD 2022 Health and wellbeing at work survey identified the top three benefits of employers increasing their focus on employee wellbeing: 

• A healthier and more inclusive culture.
•  Better work-life balance
• Better employee morale and engagement.

As organisations continue to provide a flexible approach to ‘hybrid’ working (time/days spent throughout the week split between both office and home working environments), isolation may occur for an extended period either continuously or intermittently depending on the circumstances. Studies have found that people need frequent social contact, which intensifies during periods of crisis. Therefore, prolonged periods of social isolation can negatively impact people’s wellbeing. Risks to wellbeing may be related to job content or work schedule, specific characteristics of the workplace or opportunities for career development amongst other things. More so, in cases of new employees coming into the organisation and/or existing colleagues on leave of extended absences where they can be at home for extended periods, the feeling of lack of control, isolation and distress can be powerful.