How Investing in Social Connection Pays Off at Work

Work increasingly depends on collaboration, trust, and adaptability. At the same time, workers are feeling a rise in disconnection.

Teams are more distributed, communication is more digital, and participation in in-person communities has declined. As AI begins to absorb a greater number of previously human interactions, employees may have even fewer everyday reasons to turn to one another.

For employers, the implications reach well beyond workplace culture.

Whether team members feel a sense of belonging or are experiencing loneliness can sway workforce well-being, absence, engagement, retention, and health. Yet many organizations still lack a clear way to determine whether—and how—they can meaningfully influence social connection.

Join Jessica Watrous, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer at Modern Health, and Peter Rutigliano, PhD, Partner and Behavioral Health Practice Leader at Marsh, for a timely conversation about what the science of connection means for HR and benefits leaders.

They’ll examine why connection is increasingly a workforce issue, which day-to-day practices help relationships develop, and how workplace culture and mental health benefits can work together to support employees.

Key Takeaways

Attendees will learn:
  • The societal, technological, and workplace shifts making connection less automatic
  • How loneliness and belonging can affect employee health and workforce performance
  • Which everyday workplace practices help employees feel known, valued, and needed
  • Why frequent, low-pressure opportunities to connect may be more effective than occasional large-scale initiatives
  • Where culture and manager practices can help—and where their role reaches its limits
  • How mental health benefits can support employees experiencing persistent loneliness, relationship difficulties, anxiety, or depression
  • How to evaluate strengths and gaps across both workplace culture and benefit design
After the webinar, attendees will also receive a practical self-assessment to help understand how well their organization creates opportunities for meaningful connection and supports employees who still feel disconnected.

Why Attend

Employers can’t reverse every force changing how people connect. They can decide how intentionally their workplace responds.

That requires looking beyond whether employees have opportunities to interact. A complete strategy also considers the quality and accessibility of those interactions, whether employees feel that they matter to others, and what support is available when workplace programming isn’t enough.

This session will give HR and benefits leaders a clearer framework for deciding what belongs in the culture strategy, what belongs in the benefits strategy, and how the two can work together.

Whether you are strengthening an existing approach or beginning to examine connection as a workforce issue, you’ll leave with practical ideas and questions you can bring back to your organization.

About the Speakers:

Peter Rutigliano, PhD
Dr. Rutigliano currently leads the US Behavioral Health Practice at Marsh, supporting organizations worldwide in managing and measuring employees' mental health needs. Client work includes mental health strategy, EAP management, skill-building and prevention, mental health measurement and treatment, substance abuse access and treatment, and recovery and return to work.

Before joining Marsh, Dr. Rutigliano was an independent consultant for 15 years, and also held professorships at Ramapo College, Quinnipiac University, and New York University. Earlier in his career, Dr. Rutigliano held positions at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Hahnemann University Hospital, and Harvard Medical School/Brockton VA Medical Center, as well as at several other health care companies conducting therapy and clinical research.

Dr. Rutigliano maintains an active research program with over 170 publications and scholarly presentations, including a consistent representation at the SIOP annual conference. His major focus is workplace inclusion, with a particular concentration on the experiences of people with disabilities and mental health conditions.


Jessica Watrous, PhD
Dr. Jessica Watrous is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer at Modern Health.

Dr. Watrous’ clinical and research efforts have focused on the complex relationships between physical and mental health including the emotional impact of illness and injury, health behavior change, substance use problems, and optimizing clinical prevention and intervention protocols for mental and physical health promotion and behavior change.

Prior to joining Modern Health, Dr. Watrous worked in academic healthcare and research settings including UC San Diego and the San Diego VA Healthcare System as a clinician and researcher contributing to federally-funded clinical research. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, scientific presentations, and book chapters. At Modern Health, she leads the Clinical Strategy & Research team and she is passionate about mental healthcare innovation that leads to accessible, evidence-based, equitable care for all.

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