Survey: Workers Struggle With Social Connection at Work; Manager Communication Falls Short

Feeling connected at work remains a challenge for many professionals, regardless of whether they are fully remote or in the office full time. According to FlexJobs®' Workplace Connection Report, nearly two in five (39%) workers said they “sometimes” feel socially connected to their colleagues, while another one in five said they “rarely” or “never” experience connection in the workplace.

Additionally, the survey of more than 1,700 U.S. workers found that communication with managers continues to be a significant workplace challenge. Half of respondents reported experiencing miscommunication with their manager, and over one-third cited inconsistent expectations (39%) and disrespectful communication (35%) as common behaviors from upper leadership that affect their on-the-job experience.

Workers Feel Moderately Connected, Regardless of Work Arrangement

While workplace relationships remain important, relatively few workers report feeling consistently connected to their coworkers. The report found:

Nearly two in five workers (39%) said they “sometimes” feel socially connected at work.
26% said they “often” feel connected, and only 15% reported “always” feeling socially connected.
Nearly one in five (20%) said they “rarely or never” feel connected to colleagues.

The report found workers were more likely to say their work arrangement has little impact on workplace relationships than to blame fully remote or hybrid work for feeling socially disconnected.

43% said their work arrangement has no real impact on connection with colleagues at work.
Roughly one-third (32%) said their work arrangements have made them feel more connected with coworkers.
One-quarter (25%) said it makes them feel less connected.

More Than Half of Workers Face Miscommunication with Managers

Communication challenges between employees and managers remain a common pain point across today's workforce. Overall, half (50%) of respondents said they have experienced some form of manager miscommunication. Among these respondents:

25% said miscommunication occurred primarily with in-person work.
15% said it occurs equally across all work arrangements.
Just 10% said miscommunication with managers happens primarily with remote work (7%) or hybrid (3%) work. 

"Whether you’re remote or fully in person, our latest report is a clear signal that connection and company culture are rooted in healthy communication between teams,” said Toni Frana, Career Expert Manager at FlexJobs. “Workers thrive when expectations are consistent and communicated effectively from leadership, which can have a far greater influence on fostering strong workplace connection than work location alone.”

Shifting Expectations & Lack of Respect Cited as Top Employee Challenges

In FlexJobs’ survey, respondents said some of the most significant issues they experienced with their managers were inconsistent communication and poor leadership practices. The most common management experiences workers shared included:

39% said managers changed expectations or priorities without clear explanation.
35% experienced disrespectful or dismissive communication.
27% said managers failed to acknowledge their contributions.
23% reported being treated unfairly or singled out.
20% said a manager took credit for their work or ideas.
20% were made to feel uncomfortable raising concerns.
15% were pressured to respond outside working hours.

For more information, please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-workplace-connection-report or contact Shanna Briggs (shanna.briggs@bold.com).

Methodology: Demographic breakdown of the 1,701 respondents: Gender: women (70%), men (27%), prefer not to identify (2%), prefer to self-describe (1%); Generation: Gen Z (7%), millennial/Gen Y (26%), Gen X (43%), baby boomer (23%), silent generation (1%); Education: less than a high school degree (1%), high school degree or equivalent (14%), some college but no degree (23%), associate's degree (14%), bachelor's degree (30%), graduate degree (18%); Career level: entry-level (15%), experienced (51%), manager (17%), senior-level manager (13%), executive (4%); 32 percent had children 18 or younger living at home with them. FlexJobs created the survey, which was promoted to general audiences and its subscribers/members primarily through social media and newsletters. FlexJobs used a multiple choice and multi-select question format via SurveyMonkey's online platform. The survey ran from June 9-22, 2026.