The Friends & Happiness in the Workplace Survey by Wildgoose shows that 47% of employees in the UK don’t have someone they would consider a friend in the workplace.
Even more, 8% of London workers stated that they started a new position during the pandemic, making it even more challenging to make friends.
Although unfortunate, these revelations are not surprising. Working from home has isolated many people over the past year or so, and it appears that employees are ready to return to the office at least some of the time.
For instance, 51% of London workers said they would like to socialize with their colleagues during happy hours, while 32% want a breakout area in the office.
“Some people have started jobs without meeting their new colleagues, which must be especially tough. Hopefully those people can now get to know their new workmates properly,” said Jonny Edser, managing director at Wildgoose. “And companies need to realise that face-to-face social events play a huge role in that, particularly when people have lacked social interaction in their everyday lives. For many people, what’s been missing is the chance to have fun with colleagues, rather than just focusing on work.”