Employers have been urged to do more to encourage social connections between remote staff after a survey revealed that nearly two thirds of Brits find it difficult to make work friends while working from home.

A poll of 2,500 UK workers, conducted by OC Tanner as part of its Global Culture Report, found 63% of people said it was more challenging forming new friendships with colleagues while working remotely.

Over half of those polled (58%) also admitted that the office was where most of their new friendships are formed, while 71% of UK workers said they valued colleague interactions.

The research also found that 71% of employees found it easier to make personal connections with people from other generations when in the office, while the same percentage felt they are more able to make friendships with people of different cultures in an office environment.

The findings come as employers were urged to focus on improving flexible working, employee wellbeing and other areas of workplace culture in order to attract talent in an increasingly competitive market.

The People Management article can be found here, while the full Global Culture Report can be found via this link.