What is the Impact of Connection in-person on Productivity in Remote Work Environments?
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The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped how people work and think about work. A survey conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2022, showcased that 58% of job holders in the U.S. say they can work remotely part time. Moreover, the survey found that 87% of Americans are willing to work flexibly (both remote and in person) if given the opportunity. However, challenges are introduced in a fully remote work environment. Ideally, the goal of the research was to provide practical data around how often fully remote employees needed to be brought in person for trainings, conferences, and seminars to reduce the sense of loneliness. Further, the original question was to identify for how long those in-person times would keep employees from having feelings of loneliness once back in a remote environment. Due to limitations on available research of such a new topic, this question become a challenging one. There was little to no concrete data on how much in-person time is needed to remove loneliness for remote employees. As such, this executive summary will discuss the implications of how a sense of belongingness and inclusion within a general remote work environment can affect productivity, and if research shows there is a need for in-person connection. Lastly, the summary will cover some best practices to handle these challenges.