After the terms ‘moonlighting’ and ‘rage applying’ made buzz earlier this year, a new trend known as ‘coffee badging’ is now picking up.
Published Date – 03:50 PM, Tue – 21 November 23
Hyderabad: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a notable transformation in workplace culture, shifting from online to hybrid arrangements, with employees returning to physical office spaces eventually. After the terms ‘moonlighting’ and ‘rage applying’ made buzz earlier this year, a new trend known as ‘coffee badging’ is now picking up.
What is ‘Coffee badging’?
‘Coffee badging’ is a modern adaptation of workplace attendance, where employees arrive at work, greet each other over a cup of coffee, and engage in conversations before eventually leaving after an hour or two. Afterwards, they head back home to complete their work.
It revolves around the concept of physically showing up at the workplace and swiping the ID badge to confirm attendance.
Why is the trend emerging?
Coffee badging is a response to the growing popularity of return-to-office (RTO) mandates that many workers find restrictive and unnecessary.
According to a survey by Owl Labs, a company that develops 360-degree video conferencing technologies, in its 2023 State of Hybrid Work report said that more than half— 58 per cent of hybrid employees are coffee badging.
Many workers are favoring towards flexibility and autonomy of working remotely, opting to avoid frequent visits to the office to save both time and money. They find greater productivity and comfort working from home, where they can avoid distractions, interruptions, and stress.
Notable observations of the trend:
According to Owl Labs, coffee badging is more prevalent among men than women and among millennials than other generations. This might be due to gendered expectations, perceptions of work-life balance, and variations in workplace culture.
Impact on work culture:
The implications of coffee badging indicate a misalignment between the preferences of workers and the expectations set by employers. This also leads to a lack of trust and communication between the two parties, leading to negative outcomes such as reduced engagement, collaboration, innovation, and loyalty at both individual and organizational levels.
How to prevent coffee badging?
To prevent or address coffee badging, organizations can adopt several strategies such as embracing flexibility, encouraging open communication, and providing workers with more autonomy and control over their work environment.
