Coffee badging, a term describing employees who make brief appearances in the office to meet attendance requirements while doing minimal actual work, is gaining popularity in hybrid work environments. This practice, which can appear as "wage fraud" to some employers, involves showing up late, leaving early, and spending more time socializing than working, all to create an illusion of office presence. According to Owl Labs, over 58 percent of hybrid employees admit to coffee badging, highlighting a significant shift in workplace culture. Many employees prefer working from home, feeling that they can be more productive without the constraints of mandatory office hours. The prevalence of coffee badging reveals a deeper issue with the return-to-office mandates, suggesting that flexible work schedules could be more effective. Employers might find better results by allowing remote work and evaluating employees based on their output rather than their physical presence in the office.
Enjoying the read? Subscribe for free to one of the fastest-growing newsletters and get weekly coffee news (TL;DR updates) delivered right to your inbox.