As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to linger, a growing number of employers and companies are mandating their employees to return to the office. However, some workers are responding with a new form of protest recently dubbed “coffee badging.” The term refers to employees who show up to the office solely to have a cup of coffee, flash their badge, and then leave to do their work from home.
Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, a Boston-based company that makes 360° video conferencing devices, explained that “Coffee badging is when employees show up to the office for enough time to have a cup of coffee, show their face and get a ‘badge swipe’ — then go home to do the rest of their work.” The trend has slowly been gaining traction, with many employees interested in finding ways to resist returning to the office.
According to research carried out by Owl Labs, the trend has become widespread in offices across the United States. The firm conducted a deep dive into the data and found that many employees are using the trend as a way of circumventing the physical office while still maintaining a presence in the organization.
Despite those numbers, some companies have yet to recognize the issue brewing within their ranks. Due to the pandemic, employees have become accustomed to working remotely, and for many, it has become a preferred way of working. Those who have been forced to return to the office have instead found ways to protest, and coffee badging has become a popular way of doing so.
However, with the trend gaining popularity, it has the potential to harm organizations. Employees who only come to the office for a single cup of coffee provide limited value to the company while using essential resources such as office space and electricity. Furthermore, if the trend continues, it could lead to further social isolation, harming the social cohesion of workplaces.
Experts recommend that companies take proactive measures to counter coffee badging. Setting clear policies around remote work and ensuring that employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities as workers is a crucial first step. Another critical factor is acknowledging the benefits that remote work can offer employees and, by extension, the organization.
Despite the resistance from some employees, many studies show that remote work increases productivity, lowers overhead costs, and can provide a better work-life balance. Recognizing this and maintaining flexibility to accommodate employee preferences could be a key factor in retaining top talent and maintaining a healthy workplace culture in the post-pandemic world.
In conclusion, coffee badging is the latest form of employee protest against the return to physical offices. The trend has the potential to harm organizations and should not be ignored. Companies should proactively address this issue by creating clear policies around remote work, acknowledging the benefits of working from home and taking steps to maintain social cohesion in the workplace.