09th March 2026

The Business Case for Belonging at Work

Dr. Tracy Brower argues that belonging and connection at work are not “soft” ideas but strategic business drivers. Disconnection fuels disengagement, absenteeism and turnover, while strong networks and shared purpose boost performance, wellbeing and retention. Leaders who intentionally foster connection unlock measurable organisational and human returns.

This article was written by Tracy Brower, PhD and published in Forbes.

Belonging and connection are important to people, but they are also critical for business. Far from being fluffy or inconsequential, there is a significant business case that proves big benefits and significant paybacks.

This matters now. People feel disengaged, demotivated and largely disconnected. But the evidence is clear that investing in belonging and connection as well as strong networks and shared purpose, results in positive outcomes including performance, wellbeing, retention and more.

The Costs of Disconnection

When employees feel disconnected from others, they are more likely to be disengaged and even suffer from poor health which in turn drives absenteeism and sick days. They also experience reduced commitment and motivation to expend effort or perform especially well.

One estimate is that when employees are lonely, the impact to the organization is $13,300 per lonely employee per year based on absenteeism, healthcare costs and turnover. This is according to analysis by Sunny Workplace.

And when people feel disconnected from their work, they are also more likely to experience loneliness, based on research from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Benefits of Belonging and Connection

On the other hand, when people have a sense of belonging and connection with colleagues and with their work, all kinds of good things happen. When people feel connected, they are more engaged, more committed and more likely to stay with the organization. They also perform better, partly because they feel safe to take constructive risks. In addition, they tend to collaborate more and have better wellbeing and greater motivation. All of this is based on research by Brigham Young University.

Another study proved that connections and friendship at work raised commitment and performance, based on research from National Tsing Hua University. It was a logic train: when people had a sense of friendship and belonging (including trust and support), they felt more positive about their job responsibilities and they experienced greater happiness, satisfaction and overall wellbeing. This, in turn, drove greater commitment which positively affected performance.

Similarly, when people felt more social support from coworkers, they had increased job satisfaction, based on research published in the European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education. And job satisfaction predicts investment of time, energy and effort toward great performance.

• CULTURE AND PURPOSE
• DEI
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