The 'ghost colleagues' of the remote workplace

The rituals of office work used to mean communication with colleagues was a given. Now, fewer than 30% of knowledge workers work from the office every day.

Employees that switched to remote work became less connected. Groups also became static as workers focused on existing connections instead of making new ones.

However, finding ways to restore these post-pandemic work communities may be key to ongoing wellbeing at work.

Before the pandemic, workers constantly interacted with colleagues and contacts. But since working from home, employees experienced a loss of connection.

Research found that 73% of people miss socialising in person, and 46% miss work-related side conversations that happen in the office. These social ties people experience in the workplace feed into their sense of attachment and belonging at work.