New York Fed study finds many in-office workers feel isolated
New research suggests that despite return-to-office mandates, nearly half of corporate employees experience their office days as functionally remote.
A study conducted by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York indicates that a large share of employees working from the office report a lack of meaningful human contact. Researchers Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington found that nearly half of in-office days are spent primarily on digital communication tools, with 48.8% of respondents reporting no in-person meetings with teammates or others during their recent time at the office.
The findings challenge the corporate rationale for mandatory office attendance, which often centers on claims that physical presence fosters collaboration and productivity. The data shows that even when staff are physically present, many spend their time in virtual meetings—sometimes even with colleagues located in the same building. Over a third of respondents reported participating in virtual meetings while all other participants were also in the office.
The researchers attribute this disconnect to structural changes in the modern workforce, including the presence of fully remote colleagues, geographically distributed teams, and inconsistent enforcement of return-to-office mandates. As a result, many commutes are yielding little more than a change of scenery for daily video conferences, potentially negating the perceived benefits of office-based work.