Canberra Is Australia’s Loneliest City. Could Peter Dutton’s Return To The Office Mandate For Public Servants Solve This Crisis Of Connection?
This opinion article was originally published in The Canberra Times on March 5 2025 and authored by Giulia Jones, Foundation for Social Health Founding Board Member.
Canberra is Australia's loneliest city. But by every metric it should be our healthiest city - surrounded by green space and nature, home to our nation's public service and bustling with activities for the young and old and families alike.
So, what's going on here? A simple answer can be found in a rethink of work-from-home and the potential positive mental health impacts of Peter Dutton's return-to-the-office mandate for 365,000 public service workers.
The truth is simple: we need genuine human connection. We are inherently social beings, and work serves as one of the primary spaces where we form those essential bonds.
Whether it's a chat at the microwave or a hello to a friend on the way to your workstation, these interactions significantly improve our mental health.
For many, the workplace is the one place where they consistently engage with others, and the absence of this environment is leading to widespread isolation.
When we work from home, we risk losing these spontaneous social connections that happen when we are together in person - these physical in person connections promote mental clarity, emotional release, and overall happiness, rather than the fake smile we all feel required to plaster across our faces for hour upon hour of Teams meetings from home.
In the Foundation for Social Health's most recent research paper A More Connected Canberra, we focused on workplace insights, we explore the reality that nearly half of Canberra's workforce experiences mental health challenges, and 40 per cent report feeling lonely at least once a week.
These numbers are alarming, especially considering that more than 69 per cent of the ACT workforce is entitled to work from home. The impact of this work model is more than just about productivity; it's a social issue that calls for urgent attention.
Canberra's situation is a microcosm of a larger national trend. The ACT leads Australia in both work-from-home entitlements and loneliness rates. While the flexibility to work remotely is often lauded for offering a better work-life balance, the reality is that it comes at a heavy isolating cost.
Our survey found that 36 per cent of Canberra's workers feel ambivalent or unhappy about their jobs, and 19.8 per cent cite social isolation as a contributing factor to their mental health struggles.
The rise of technology, including video conferencing and emails, may have bridged some gaps in communication, but it has not replaced the human connection essential for mental well-being. The ease of digital communication has made it easier to isolate ourselves, meaning we can easily end up alone and isolated. That was the point after all, of work from home: social isolation. And it has been effective.
While the benefits of flexibility in work arrangements cannot be dismissed, the drawbacks are increasingly hard to ignore. Remote work often blurs the lines between professional and personal life, leading to overwork and burnout. Mums can feel the need to check emails late into the evening and at dawn.
Dads can feel that home is a zone completely dedicated to work and can find it hard to switch off. Young people who could be having the experience of a lifetime getting into work in graduate roles can feel like there aren't any other grads around in offices with only 30 per cent of people there. Those who work from home are more likely to extend their workday beyond regular hours, contributing to an unhealthy work-life balance.
Without a physical office, there are no boundaries - no distinct time or place to disconnect and unwind. This, coupled with the growing sense of isolation, can be a perfect storm for mental health issues. Women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by the rise in remote work.
Studies show that women working from home are more likely to experience psychological distress, with 73 per cent reporting a decline in their mental health.
The pressures of balancing home responsibilities with professional duties exacerbate these effects, for women whose homes aren't that safe, there is no relief from distress they may live with. Daycare drop offs aren't meant to be the only time in the day to see other parents.
So, what can we do? It's time to bring people back together.
We need to make workplaces more attractive. We need to consider deliberately building connection and community in the office. Ask your staff what would make the difference for them? Is it easier parking? Is it an exercise walking group at lunchtime? Or is it a fruit box delivery so that there are fresh snacks on hand; what do your team want and need to come back together? Ask them.
It is time to be deliberate. Our spaces, workplaces, and communities must be places that foster spontaneous good quality interactions. The walk to the office, chatting about life with a colleague, or meeting up with friends for lunch improves our social, mental, and physical health.
The simple act of leaving the house and engaging with others is an antidote to the loneliness that increasingly plagues our city.
The office, then, is not just a place of productivity but an essential hub of connection. It's time for Canberra to embrace a more connected, in-person work culture where social bonds can be nurtured, mental health can be supported, and communities can thrive.
The pandemic may have changed the way we work, but it is our responsibility to keep the vital parts of human interactions that keep us healthy and thriving. We need workplaces that are better than before the pandemic and we need to ensure our teams want to come to work. We owe it to ourselves and to each other to rebuild the community that is essential for our wellbeing.