Nearly half of office-based workers surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York had no in-person meetings on their most recent office day, raising questions about whether return-to-office mandates are delivering the collaboration employers expect, according to CNBC.
The September survey of college-educated workers found that 48.8% had no face-to-face meetings with teammates or other colleagues. Researchers found that many employees still rely on video calls and messaging platforms while working from the office.
Office Workers Still Rely on Virtual Meetings
More than 70% of respondents had at least one teammate working elsewhere on their most recent office day. Meanwhile, 37% attended at least one virtual meeting in which every participant was in the same office.
More than a third had no in-person or hybrid meetings that day.
Distributed Teams Complicate Office Mandates
The researchers point to teams spread across multiple locations, inconsistent employee attendance, and weak enforcement of office policies as factors behind the disconnect.
Data from a Fortune 500 company showed that nearly half of corporate employees had at least one teammate absent on their in-office days. Federal time-use data also suggest Americans spend more time physically alone on office days than before the pandemic.
The findings raise questions about whether office mandates deliver the collaboration and social contact employers cite as reasons for requiring employees to return.
