Employees Prefer Office Work

A survey finds many staffers don't like working without a boss.

Contrary to accepted wisdom, many employees prefer working in the office with their boss, rather than working remotely, a recent survey found.

Of 492 employees surveyed by OfficeTeam, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based staffing firm, nearly half said they found it difficult to work outside of the office. Their managers agreed. In a separate survey of 150 senior executives, 58 percent said they feel it's important to have their staff working out of the same location.

About a quarter of the employees surveyed said it's more difficult to work without a supervisor.

"Those who work outside the office must go the extra mile to make sure they keep the lines of communication open," OfficeTeam executive director Dave Willmer said in a statement.

To maintain a healthy flow of communication, OfficeTeam suggested providing frequent status reports, making yourself available via phone and email, and hosting face-to-face meetings whenever possible.