London, UK, 5 November 2026 – A quarter (26%) of UK professionals say having a clearer reason to be in the office could encourage them to increase their attendance, new research from global talent solutions partner Robert Walters reveals.
A clear purpose for office days is a greater draw than onsite perks like free breakfasts (21%) or more flexible start and finish times (17%).
Key takeaways
- Purpose matters more than office perks when encouraging attendance.
- Employees want better collaboration, focus space and leadership access.
- Organisations should make office days worthwhile, not simply mandatory.
Currently, less than a third (29%) of professionals believe the time they spend in the office is worthwhile or purposeful leading to a rise of ‘tick-box attendance’, where employees maintain a physical presence in the office but gain no real benefit from it.
The research highlights how professionals are seeking greater purpose during their time in the office, suggesting many return-to-office mandates may be missing the point, as organisations increase attendance expectations without meaningfully improving employees’ office experience.
“Organisations should avoid focusing on just getting people through the door and instead offer them more reason to walk through it. Office attendance improves more meaningfully when employees feel like it’s time well spent and not another box to tick.”
Daniel Harris, Managing Director – UK&I, Robert Walters
Further findings reveal that 39% of professionals say office distractions are hindering their productivity. Meanwhile, some point out having too many virtual meetings (28%), while a quarter (25%) say their teams or managers are often not present.
Daniel Harris said: “Leaders mandating greater office attendance without also improving the quality of office days risk missing a crucial opportunity to increase productivity, engagement, and collaboration across their organisation.
“Optimising office days doesn’t require installing new workplace equipment or providing a free breakfast or lunch. What professionals really want is to get the most out of their in-person days, whether that means collaborating with their colleagues, having spaces for dedicated quiet or focused projects, or getting more facetime with senior leaders.
“We’ve also seen some organisations establish ‘tentpole’ office days, such as Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, while offering flexibility for the rest of the week. This helps avoid attendance being spread too thinly and encourages more people to be in on key days.”
