Social Health at Work Roundtable

London | 4 June | 14:00-17:00 BST

Loneliness isn't just a chronic problem in society – it's a £2.5 billion annual cost to UK employers through increased sick days, higher turnover, and lost productivity.

This roundtable will bring together senior business leaders, academics, and stakeholders from the non-profit and public sectors to explore these questions:

After physical and mental health, is social health the next frontier for organizations?
What is loneliness really costing your organization?
How do you build connected, high performing teams in remote and hybrid environments?
As AI and automation disrupts traditional work, is social connection the key to unlocking the type of value only humans can bring?
Are generational differences driving loneliness?
How are shifts in employment models, particularly the growth of the gig economy and the move toward private services, shaping experiences of loneliness?
What does socially intelligent organizational design look like?
Do organizations need a “social strategy”?

The gathering’s objective will be deepen understanding, shape emerging practice, and accelerate collective momentum around social health as a critical priority for organizations and society.

Participants

You will join other senior business leaders from a range of industries, predominantly working in People and Organization (HR) functions – as well as experts from the non-profit and public sectors working on the topics of loneliness and social connection.

Roundtable discussions will be facilitated by expert consultants from the Economics of Mutuality Alliance and leading academics including:

Professor Sarah Wright from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand: an internationally renowned expert on workplace loneliness
Professor Kamal Birdi from the University of Sheffield: Head of the Institute of Work Psychology, bridging academic research with policy and practice
Dr Anna Topakas from the University of Sheffield: a leading expert in organisational leadership, workplace relationships, and loneliness/social connection

Event Details

Date: Thursday 4 June 2026
Time: 14:00 - 17:00 (with an optional drinks reception until 18:00)
Venue: Central London (to be confirmed)
Cost: Free

Event Hosts

The non-profit-led Economics of Mutuality Alliance is at the forefront of mobilizing the private sector to address loneliness through its global “Business vs. Loneliness” campaign. The campaign launched in 2025 with publication of a report developed in partnership with the University of Manchester based on a global survey of 10,000 people across 5 countries and a deep ethnographic research project conducted for a leading multinational company. Learn more.

Sheffield University Management School is a leading business school within the University of Sheffield, recognized globally for its prestigious “Triple Crown” accreditation (AMBA, EQUIS, and AACSB). It focuses on developing responsible leaders equipped to tackle future social, economic, and environmental challenges, combining world-class research with practical, real-world learning. The school emphasizes sustainability, innovation, and societal impact, offering a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA programs designed to prepare students for modern, global careers. Learn more.

Registration

Photos From Previous Roundtable

This roundtable will be the third London event in the Economics of Mutuality’s “Business vs. Loneliness” campaign. These photos are from our first roundtable, which took place in June 2025. 40 cross-sector senior leaders gathered to explore how companies can find profitable solutions to the problem of loneliness by leveraging their unique capabilities and resources.