In June 2025, the WHO Commission on Social Connection estimated that loneliness accounts for around 871,000 deaths a year, roughly 100 every hour. It found that about one in six people worldwide report feeling lonely. The Commission argued that social health belongs alongside physical and mental health as a third pillar, with harms comparable to air pollution, tobacco and alcohol.
“Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
Robert Waldinger, Director, Harvard Study of Adult Development
For employers, this reframes the question. Longevity programmes tend to measure what’s easy to track: steps, biomarkers, app logins. Connection is harder to count, so it gets left to chance.
Deciding what matters means designing for connection. That looks like protected team time, managers who ask the second question, and onboarding that introduces people, not just systems. These aren’t perks. They’re longevity infrastructure.
The workplaces that add healthy years won’t be the ones with the most programmes. They’ll be the ones where nobody works alone.