Bringing employees back into the office has not automatically restored workplace relationships, with new research suggesting many workers continue to feel isolated despite spending more time alongside colleagues.
The study found that two in five office workers have experienced loneliness at work despite being surrounded by other people, raising questions about whether return-to-office policies alone can rebuild engagement, collaboration and team culture.
The findings also point to wider management challenges, with many employees receiving little one-to-one time with their manager and a significant proportion of managers having no formal leadership training.
Loneliness persists in the office
Research by workplace engagement platform Kahoot! found that 40 percent of UK office workers had felt lonely at work despite being surrounded by colleagues, while 37 percent said they had no close friends at work.
The survey of 2,000 office workers also found that workplace interaction appears to have changed significantly. Nearly one in five (17 percent) said they often go an entire working day without speaking to a colleague, while more than half (52 percent) admitted messaging or emailing colleagues sitting in the same room instead of speaking to them face to face.
Meetings have increasingly become one of the few opportunities for genuine interaction, with 46 percent saying they are the only time they meaningfully connect with colleagues. More than half (57 percent) also believed meetings were more effective when time was set aside for personal connection before business discussions began.
Managers under pressure
The research suggests that managers may not be receiving the support needed to strengthen workplace relationships.
Almost half (49 percent) of employees said they received less than one hour of one-to-one time with their manager each week, while 38 percent of managers said they had never received formal management training. A similar proportion reported experiencing imposter syndrome.
When asked where managers most needed to improve, employees most frequently identified communication, followed by meaningful feedback and emotional intelligence. Managers themselves said handling difficult conversations and conflict was the leadership skill they most wanted to develop.
Sean D’Arcy, chief solutions officer at Kahoot!, said loneliness was no longer confined to remote workers.
“What’s striking about our research is that loneliness at work is no longer limited to remote employees or people working in isolation – it’s happening inside busy offices, surrounded by colleagues.”
He said organisations faced the challenge of helping employees feel connected without creating “an artificial culture or unwanted social expectations”.
Employees ‘hiding parts of themselves’
The research also found evidence that many employees feel unable to be themselves at work.
Almost two thirds (61 percent) said they suppressed aspects of their personality in the workplace. Around 44 percent said they held back opinions they believed would not be well received, while 31 percent concealed their sense of humour or personality and 11 percent even moderated their accent.
Separately, 55 percent said they deliberately kept colleagues at a personal distance to maintain work-life boundaries, while 12 percent said they never socialised with colleagues outside work.
The findings suggest that although many organisations have increased office attendance requirements, rebuilding workplace culture may depend less on where people work and more on the quality of relationships, management capability and opportunities for meaningful human connection.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
