Workers Prefer Root Canals Over Office Holiday Parties
More than one in four (27%) U.S. workers would rather have root canal work than attend an office holiday party, according to a new national poll conducted by independent pollsters Censuswide on behalf of Sunny. The nonprofit organization, which tackles the modern crisis of social connection in working and daily lives, asked 1,155 full-time U.S. employees, “To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?”
- “I’d rather have root canal work than go to an office or work holiday party.”
- “I’d rather go to the dentist than to an office or work holiday party.”
- “I’d rather go to the dentist than socialize after hours with my boss.”
The poll, which highlights the growing workplace phenomenon known as “The Great Disconnection,” found that 33% of the employees surveyed would rather visit the dentist for any reason than attend workplace celebrations. Even more bleak, 40% of U.S. employees would also “rather go to the dentist than socialize after hours with my boss.”
“Our poll findings are fresh evidence of ‘The Great Disconnection’ – the ever-growing signs of workplace disengagement,” said Sunny’s Head of Behavioral Science Iain Smith, Ph.D., an industrial psychologist. “But unlike the ‘Great Resignation’ during Covid, the Great Disconnection isn’t going anywhere, unless we address it. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much: You can design connection back into how teams are already working, so they stop running on an empty social battery.”
The research identified several clear differences between social groups:
- 30% of men would rather get a root canal than go to the office party, compared to just 23% of women.
- Northeasterners lead the party-shy, with 36% preferring a dental visit over their office holiday party, compared to just 29% in the Midwest.
More details on the results – and potential solutions – are available in “Energized by Design”, Sunny’s new white paper on social connection at work. Sunny’s team examined the risks of factors including hybrid working, AI tools, and the multi-generational workforce, and opportunities to harness these trends to create connection.
The white paper cites several other recent studies that confirm the same trend:
- 41% of Americans report feeling lonely, according to insights from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey reviewed in Sunny’s 2024 report, “Social Connection in the Modern World.”
- Gen Z workers are the loneliest of all. Nearly half (45%) of workers aged 18-25 say they regularly feel lonely at work – far more than any other age group, according to a 2024 Harris poll for the American Psychological Society.
- 42% of employees say work friendships directly contribute to their resilience in tough times, according to a 2024 study by KPMG, “Workplace Friendships Play a Critical Role in Employee Mental Health, Job Satisfaction.”
“You can’t Zoom your way to an engaged culture,” commented Betsy Parker, Sunny CEO. “Connection takes design, not just calendar invites.”