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Stop mandating the office: make it worth coming back to

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Alastair Greener FPSA Generational communication expert, author and President of the PSA UK and Ireland 2026 Published 12 October 2026 · 5 min read

Alastair Greener argues that people come back to the office when they have a reason to: the quick questions, informal feedback and company they can't get at home. Resolution Foundation research published in August 2026 found working from home accounts for two-thirds of the rise in working time spent alone among people of working age, and that 18 to 29 year olds were twice as likely as 60 to 69 year olds to report feeling often lonely.

The best way to bring people back to the office is to give them a reason to come: the quick questions, informal feedback and company they can't get at home. Young adults are missing that company. Research by the Resolution Foundation, published in August 2026, found that working from home accounts for two-thirds of the rise in working time spent alone among people of working age, and that 18 to 29 year olds were twice as likely as 60 to 69 year olds to report feeling often lonely (14% against 7%).

So forget the stereotype of senior leaders desperate to get everyone back while younger employees cling to Teams from their bedrooms. The reality is much more interesting and nuanced than that.

Do younger employees want to come into the office?

Many do. Plenty of people, younger employees included, want the office experience; what they don't want is to be ordered back in without a clear reason why.

Our own data points the same way. In our Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 survey, 55% of Gen Z workers aged 22 to 27 who work from home at least some of the time said they feel more productive at work, the highest of any group. One respondent in that age group told us: "I'd love to see more face-to-face interactions and regular team meetings". And video calls don't fill the gap for the youngest workers: only 18% of 18 to 21 year olds who use video calls for work enjoy them frequently, against 40% of Baby Boomers.

I made a similar case in an earlier post, Why won't Gen Z work in the office?, arguing that young people often want to come in but see little point when their managers stay at home.

What do young workers miss when they work alone?

They miss what I call learning by osmosis. Those "got a sec?" conversations, the quick question by the coffee machine, the overheard discussion that helps someone understand how things really work, and the informal feedback that never makes it into a scheduled Teams call.

When we were young, most of us preferred to pick up knowledge by listening, watching and observing rather than being told what to do. The first years of a career are built on it.

The Resolution Foundation's figures show how much time young adults were spending on their own: in 2023, young men aged 18 to 29 spent more than two-fifths of their waking time alone, six and a half hours a day, two hours more than in 2014 to 15. The biggest driver of that rise was paid work done alone, and the working day is exactly when that informal learning used to happen.

None of this means young people dislike working alone. 61% of workers aged 18 to 21 in our survey prefer working on their own. People can enjoy focused solo work and still need the company around it.

14%of 18 to 29 year olds report feeling often lonely, twice the rate of 60 to 69 year olds (7%)Resolution Foundation, August 2026
55%of Gen Z workers aged 22 to 27 who work from home feel more productive at workCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024
18%of 18 to 21 year olds who use video calls for work enjoy them frequently, against 40% of Baby BoomersCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

Why does the office only work if every generation turns up?

There's a catch. Showing up only works when both younger and older generations are present. If seasoned colleagues dial in while graduates are clocking in, nobody wins.

In May 2025 I was working with a client whose team had high levels of engagement in the office, with most of them in four days a week. He told me the return to the office started with the leadership team, followed by the managers, and that this set the tone for the rest of his team.

Presence alone isn't enough, either. When networking advocate Val Corbett came on the podcast to talk about networking, isolation and creating the connection, she said that even in offices she's told that "people email people in the next room".

How do you make the office worth coming back to?

Design it for connection. Shared kitchens and places where people can sit and talk are design choices that encourage people to mix. A floor of silent rows gives nobody a reason to leave the kitchen table at home.

Agree when people overlap. Pick anchor days when each team, from its most senior member to its newest, is in at the same time, and put the work that benefits most from being together on those days: feedback, problem-solving, planning and onboarding.

Lead from the front. Senior people set the tone, as that client found. If they stay away, the youngest employees are left in an office full of empty desks.

Ask rather than assume. Most employees appreciate flexibility, and different generations may value the office in different ways depending on their role, life stage and preferences. It's a mistake to make assumptions about any generation and what motivates them, so ask your team what would make the trip worthwhile.

Measure connection. Swipe-card data tells you who came in, but not whether they spoke to anyone. Our guide to managing five generations in the workplace covers the wider picture.

The best organisations won't drag people back into the office; they'll give them a reason to come in. How much have you benefited from those water-cooler moments?

Frequently asked questions

Does Gen Z want to work in the office?

Many do. In our 2024 UK survey, 55% of Gen Z workers aged 22 to 27 who work from home at least some of the time said they feel more productive at work, the highest of any group. Only 18% of 18 to 21 year olds who use video calls for work enjoy them frequently, against 40% of Baby Boomers.

Why can working from home be hard on young workers?

Because early careers depend on learning by osmosis: quick questions, overheard conversations and informal feedback. The Resolution Foundation found in August 2026 that working from home accounts for two-thirds of the rise in working time spent alone among people of working age, and that 18 to 29 year olds were twice as likely as 60 to 69 year olds to report feeling often lonely.

Should employers mandate a return to the office?

A mandate on its own tells people where to be without giving them a reason to be there. It is better to give them one: senior colleagues who are actually present, anchor days when the right people overlap, and time together used for things that are better in person, such as feedback, mentoring and problem-solving.

How do you make the office worth coming back to?

Design space for people to mix, agree anchor days when every level of a team is in, get leaders in first, ask staff what would make the trip worthwhile, and judge success by the conversations and learning that happen rather than by swipe-card data.

Talk to Alastair about bringing the generations together in your workplace, in the office and beyond.

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