Coffee Badging Is A New Workplace Trend For Hybrid Workers — Here’s Why It May Be A Good Thing

There weren’t many blessings that came from the Covid-19 lockdowns but for many of us, especially those who are neurodivergent and chronically sick, remote working was the relief we didn’t know we needed.

Now, as the world is returning to a post-pandemic ‘normal’, some workplaces are insisting that workers return on at least a hybrid — working both from home and the office — basis.

This seems like the perfect solution given that only 3% of workers would like to return to offices full-time and 86% of employees would like to work from home at least twice a week.

However, for some staff, remote working is still much preferred and a compromise has been reached in the form of a new trend called ‘coffee badging’. 

So, what is coffee badging?

Tech.co explains: “The term coffee badging refers to the practice of showing up at your physical workplace to interact with coworkers just long enough to establish that you showed up, before leaving to get your real work done from home.

“The term specifically uses the idea showing up at the office, swiping your badge as proof you’ve been on site, and grabbing a coffee. Afterwards, workers will immediately ditch the office and return home.”

It perhaps seems a little dubious as a compromise but according to business expert and coach Gabe Zichermann, this could actually be something that employers can learn from, rather than chastise employees for. 

On his LinkedIn, Zichermann says: “Friendships in the workplace provide several key benefits that go beyond just productivity. Lower turnover, increased satisfaction, and potentially even better decision-making.

“Coffee badging gives us a great starting point to understand what might bring our teams back into the office with a positive spin. They are clearly choosing to socialise - and that’s not a negative cheat at all. Let’s lean in on this trend and take it for what it is: progress in our return to office.”

Very interesting.