It’s human nature to hold a bias toward the present. We tend to give more weight to short-term, immediate benefits and underestimate long-term consequences. It’s why we might skip the annual barbecue even though it helps us to really get to know people, or decline an invite because staying home feels easier. Convenience ends up trumping connection.

I think we’re seeing a similar phenomenon in the work-from-home debate. For many employees, the short-term benefits feel so good—no commute, wear what you want, skip the water-cooler chitchat. The long-term drawbacks are less obvious. People may genuinely prefer remote work in the short run while underestimating the long-run value of working together in shared spaces.

Some researchers highlight that narcissistic leaders prefer employees in the office because they crave visibility and control. But I don’t think that’s the whole picture. Empathetic leaders may also favor in-person work—but for very different reasons. Their concern isn’t control. It’s what employees and organizations stand to lose when work becomes entirely virtual.

A Rising Tide Of Wellbeing

During the pandemic, my company, like many around the globe, pivoted to remote work. As a leader, I got the sense that colleagues (myself included) were struggling with newfound challenges linked with working in isolation. But there were so many other factors at play, it was hard to pinpoint the reasons.

But recent research published in Science suggests that remote work has been a major contributor to deteriorating mental health between 2011 and 2024, confirming a concern that many leaders have felt as remote work has become more prevalent—it’s not great for overall wellbeing.

Simply put: working alone is lonely. Gone are casual office drop-ins, impromptu lunches, and the quick huddles to spitball ideas with colleagues. Working from home also curtails brief but important interactions like chatting with your neighbor on the train, catching up with your local barista, and all the other points of human contact that come with moving through the world outside the home, and can lift our spirits.

In fact, one study found that when commuters were told to interact with a stranger on their ride, they reported feeling happier than participants who continued silently as usual.

Traveling to the office may be inconvenient, but it provides the opportunities for socializing that we, as humans, need. It shores up your sense of connection with colleagues. In my experience, it boosts general well-being among employees—that is, provided employees also have ample time to truly disconnect. I’m a big believer in the quiet power of doing nothing at all.

Employees might not whistle while they work every day, but when they’re generally content, they’re more creative, more innovative, and more committed to organizations and their missions.

Learning Happens Faster Together

I’m pretty confident that I don’t fit the archetype of an authoritarian leader. I’m an introvert. I’m a coder and developer first. When I launched Jotform, becoming a leader took time. Two decades later, I’m still learning, especially in a work landscape that’s constantly shifting.

When we decided to bring employees back to the office, it wasn’t a power play. Engagement and relationships were suffering. But perhaps more than anything, working full-time remotely had a notable and negative impact on learning. Without in-person guidance and the kind of meaningful mentorship that comes from real-life interactions, new hires were floundering. They were leaving in higher numbers than ever before. Learning and development seemed to stall across the board.

Research backs up our experience. A Microsoft study of more than 61,000 employees found that remote work made teams more siloed and less dynamic. Employees spent less time interacting across teams and formed fewer new connections. They missed the informal exchanges through which people often receive feedback, mentoring, and new ideas.

At Jotform, we saw a significant rebound once we returned to the office. We still had other challenges, like staying ahead of and training people on the latest AI and tech advancements. But working in the office facilitated the process.

At the risk of sounding presumptuous, we brought employees back to the office because we genuinely believed it would better serve their well-being and long-term career development. And when employees thrive, their companies do, too.

Make The Office Earn The Commute

Each organization has to choose the best policy for its teams. Whether you opt for a fully in-office or a hybrid situation, it’s worth thinking through how to make the time together count and build the conditions to truly connect people—design offices so that people have shared workspaces, as well as places to go when they need to complete deep, solo work. Create rituals, like weekly team lunches or coffee shop outings. Better yet, ask employees what kinds of activities they’d actually enjoy—and keep it optional for those with other obligations.

Make the office a place people want to be, filled with experiences they want to participate in, and the benefits of returning to the office will follow naturally.