Everything CEOs knew about office collaboration is probably wrong Some experts suggest a new idea for the office: not as a headquarters that people go to daily, but as a place that people go to sometimes, for group hangouts. Contemporary open offices led to 70 per cent fewer face-to-face interactions. People found it distracting, so they wore headphones and avoided one another. The New York Times Share When Yahoo banned working from home in 2013, the reason was one often cited in corporate America: being in the office is essential for spontaneous collaboration and innovation. “It is critical that we are all present in our offices,” wrote Jacqueline Reses, then a Yahoo executive, in a staff memo. “Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people and impromptu team meetings.”