Many organisations have settled on an attendance policy; fewer have explained what it is for. Culture Without a Common Experience, hosted by Howard Murray of In Fieri and sponsored by Bevi, examined how belonging is built when teams, roles and generations hold fundamentally different assumptions about work and the shared working day has dissolved.
Tribe Host: Howard Murray (In Fieri)
Sponsor:
Co-Hosts: Matthew Spofford (Bevi), Ira Chopra (MSD), Fiona Happiness (GSMA), Roderick Miller (UKTV)
Scribe: Grace Olorunshola (The Land Collective)
Purposeful Attendance Versus Mandated Office Days
Many of the Tribe questioned whether requiring people in the office on set days produces stronger teams or better working relationships. Some organisations have introduced minimum attendance requirements; others encourage people to attend when there is a clear reason to collaborate.
One team of about 45 designated Monday as an anchor day after finding that colleagues struggled to sit together during the busier midweek period. Leadership explained the rationale, which was to open the week with team alignment, and secured purposeful attendance without significant resistance.
Many of the Tribe felt the value of attendance lies in what employees achieve together rather than in presence alone. A day spent in isolated meetings, or on tasks that could be done elsewhere, does little for belonging. One of the few Gen Z members of the Tribe observed that organisations ask people to come in to “connect”, yet if much of someone’s connection already happens naturally through digital channels, the word may not carry the meaning leaders intend.
Asked whether their organisation had set out a clear purpose, the group’s answer was a resounding “meh”. The Tribe largely agreed that a stated purpose and consistent expectations are what make shared office time worth the commute.
The Changing Meaning of Work
The Tribe explored whether generations approach office attendance differently. Some observed that younger employees may attend less regularly, while more experienced colleagues tend to value the office for building relationships, exchanging knowledge and learning through observation. The discussion challenged the notion that age alone explains the difference.
Many graduates spent their university years in the pandemic and formed habits around remote communication and learning that have carried into working life. Others face practical barriers such as expensive commutes, shared accommodation and limited space to work comfortably at home.
The cost of travel was a particular concern in London, prompting many of the Tribe to question whether organisations adequately recognise the financial burden on employees expected to commute regularly. For younger workers, the decision to attend can mean weighing social interaction against transport costs, time and personal circumstances.
Many of the Tribe believed organisations need to understand what lies behind attendance patterns rather than infer a lack of commitment. Differing expectations of work may reflect differences in experience, finances and living arrangements.
Leadership, Communication and Team Agreements
Managers exert considerable influence over workplace culture. Where a formal attendance policy exists, employees often take their cues from their immediate manager, and if leaders attend regularly and demonstrate the value of collaboration, their teams may be more inclined to follow. Inconsistent communication between corporate leadership, regional teams and line managers can create confusion.
Some organisations track attendance centrally without ensuring managers understand and communicate expectations. Other teams make their own arrangements, which causes difficulty when colleagues have conflicting schedules or wider business meetings disrupt planned activity.
The Tribe discussed team agreements, such as one anchor day plus a second office day that employees choose themselves, alongside planned activities such as team breakfasts and informal coffee meetings that give people a reason to attend. There was broad agreement that effective hybrid working requires more than a policy: managers must communicate expectations clearly, understand their teams’ needs and create opportunities to work together that support both productivity and belonging.
Creating a Sense of Belonging for New Starters
The early months in a new organisation are critical for building relationships and establishing belonging. New employees need opportunities to absorb the culture, learn from experienced colleagues and develop relationships within their teams. One member of the Tribe described an approach in which new starters and their line managers work in the office five days a week for the first five or six months, allowing more scope for induction, learning and relationship-building before a move to a more flexible arrangement.
Many of the Tribe recognised the benefits of a structured introduction to office life, and stressed the importance of distinguishing it from imposing the same requirements on established employees. Setting clear expectations at recruitment also helps, as new employees understand the organisation’s approach to hybrid working before they join.
There was broad agreement that the time managers invest in new starters matters most. Belonging develops when employees feel supported and valued, and attendance alone does not create it.
Regional Differences and the Purpose of the Workplace
Workplace expectations and employee preferences differ across countries and regions. Service quality, amenities, community spaces, commuting arrangements and local working cultures all shape the appeal of an office, and an approach that succeeds in one location may not translate to another. Organisations operating across Europe, India, the Middle East, Japan and the United States must account for the local circumstances that shape employees’ expectations.
Many of the Tribe also questioned whether attractive offices and additional amenities are sufficient to encourage attendance. Facilities, food and social activities may draw people in initially, but their effect can fade as employees grow accustomed to them. The underlying question is whether the workplace makes work easier, more effective or more enjoyable.
It was also observed that fully remote organisations can sometimes build stronger connections than hybrid ones, because they design opportunities for interaction deliberately. Hybrid organisations may struggle when they carry over traditional office-based practices without rethinking how relationships and communication work across locations.
Biggest Opportunity: Purposeful Anchor Days and a Better Start for New Starters
Many of the Tribe saw an opportunity for organisations to establish shared days on which teams collaborate, exchange knowledge and strengthen relationships. Rather than concentrating solely on attendance targets, they can explain what employees are expected to gain from being together, with team agreements providing structure while leaving flexibility for individual circumstances and responsibilities.
The second opportunity is the new starter experience: setting clear expectations about hybrid working at recruitment and giving new employees structured opportunities to learn, build relationships and understand the culture. Regular time with managers and colleagues helps new starters feel supported and builds a stronger foundation for long-term belonging.
Biggest Challenge: Inconsistent Expectations, Unequal Costs and Untrained Managers
Hybrid-working policies lose their force when expectations are communicated inconsistently. Divergence between corporate policy, regional practice and individual managers’ approaches can leave employees unsure when they should attend and why, and conflicting team schedules erode the value of shared office days.
Commuting costs, travel time and unsuitable home-working environments also affect people’s ability and willingness to attend, particularly younger and lower-paid employees. Organisations risk overlooking these barriers when attendance is treated as a question of motivation or commitment, and attractive facilities and social activities may not address the deeper causes of disconnection.
Managers are central to attendance, communication and team relationships, yet many lack guidance or training on leading hybrid teams. Many of the Tribe believed organisations need to equip them to set expectations, support new starters and assess performance fairly, creating opportunities for collaboration without relying on presenteeism.
Organisations, the Tribe conclude, must becomeconsiderably better at helping people understand change.
OCCUPEERS took place on 13 October 2026 at Fulham Pier, London.
Find out more about the event at space-plus.org/occupeers