Survey: Half-full offices will hurt restaurants less than other retailers

The old saying “there is no free lunch” may find less validity in the remote-worker generation.

 While a recent study by Gartner revealed that 58% of employers in America are removing location requirements for their workers, there’s one thing that will get them back to the office for special meetings: lunch meetings!

A survey of 2,000 American workers conducted by OnePoll on behalf of DoorDash found that 42% would prefer mostly remote work with occasional days in the office.

But a large segment of respondents said they’d be happy to commute to the job for social activities such as “lunch and learn” presentations (51%) and happy hours (46%).

Respondents also feel they pay attention in meetings (59% vs. 29%), connect more with their co-workers (53% vs. 30%), and engage in company culture (51% vs. 30%) more effectively on-location than remotely.

The three things that would most make workers return to offices full-time, according to the DoorDash survey, are spending  time with co-workers, having their companies pay their commutation fees, and being offered company-supplied meals.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of survey subjects said that sharing meals together with co-workers improves company culture. Sixty percent said that eating together encourages people to talk about things outside of work and allows them to get to know their colleagues better.