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relationships and the social environment that can be described as a breakdown in one's ability to
engage in social interactions or build and maintain quality social connections [3].
One silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has resulted in more employers
recognizing the importance of supporting employees' mental health. A critical issue for
employees' mental health is how well they can navigate risks of isolation and loneliness. The
cure for loneliness is authentic connections [4]. In other words, a person with a meaningful,
authentic connection with themselves and with others they value in their personal and
professional lives is much less likely to experience loneliness.
It is worth noting that isolation and loneliness were public health challenges well before
the pandemic. For example, in 2019 one in five Canadians rated themselves as lonely [5]. The
pandemic illuminated for employers the psychosocial risk factor of isolation and the
psychosocial hazard, loneliness. The COVID-19 pandemic increased these risks, as aspects
associated with the pandemic (e.g., remote work, physical distancing) increase experiences of
loneliness and isolation. An Ipsos poll reported that during the first month of the COVID-19
pandemic, 54% of Canadians responded that physical distancing left them feeling lonely or
isolated [6].
With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing unprecedented impact on how work is organized
and the potential impact on social connections, in early April 2020, Lynn Brownell, CEO of
WSPS, and Dr. Bill Howatt discussed the potential role digital app technology could play in
providing a scalable, low-cost solution to mitigate employees' risk of isolation and loneliness
and help them build and maintain authentic connections. This conversation was playing out as
the level of fear around COVID-19 and massive changes in social networks in the workplace
