Hybrid workers are dodging return-to-office mandates by “coffee badging.”The workplace trend involves showing up at the office for a few hours before leaving.The practice allows employees to catch up with colleagues, while saving time and money.
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Hybrid workers have a new way to dodge return-to-office mandates: “coffee badging.”The workplace trend involves showing up at the office, grabbing a coffee, and then leaving to complete the workday somewhere else. Employees collect a metaphorical “badge” for visiting the office, even if it’s only for a few hours.Stylist reported on the trend this week and interviewed Liz Villani, the founder of #BeYourselfAtWork and the #iAM global movement, who referred to “coffee badging” as “presenteeism in the most fleeting of methods.”People used the process as a way to swiftly get back to their default option of working from home, she said.Forbes previously reported on the trend’s use as a coping mechanism among workers.”Coffee badging” has become more popular as more companies started to enforce return-to-office mandates. In a June Owl Labs survey of 2,000 people, 58% of hybrid employees said they were joining the trend. Owl Labs makes videoconferencing devices.Another 8% of respondents said they hadn’t tried “coffee badging” but would like to. The practice allows employees to catch up with colleagues, while saving time by skipping the rush-hour commute and money by avoiding pricey lunches.The trend comes amid a wider rift between employees and bosses over remote work. The availability of remote jobs has been declining over the past year as businesses adjust to the post-COVID-crisis world.While remote work is popular with employees, new studies have suggested that productivity may be taking a hit when a workforce is fully remote.Big Tech companies, including Google and Meta, have been pushing return-to-office policies and mandating office days. Monitoring attendance using badge swipes has become more common among tech companies, too.Have you tried “coffee badging” at work? Contact this reporter at [email protected]
https://www.businessinsider.com/hybrid-workers-return-to-office-coffee-badging-remote-work-2023-10
