RW - foRWard Health & Wellbeing eMag - June 25 - Flipbook - Page 50
Co昀昀ee Badging:
The Minimum Effort
Office Presence
On the 昀氀ip side, co昀昀ee badging
is becoming a common
workaround for employees
who want to meet o昀케ce
a琀琀endance requirements
without fully embracing the
return-to-o昀케ce push. Co昀昀ee
badging is when employees:
• Check in at the o昀케ce, grab
a co昀昀ee, chat with a few
colleagues, then leave a昀琀er
an hour or two.
• Maintain the illusion of o昀케ce
a琀琀endance while doing most
of their work elsewhere.
• Avoid strict monitoring
by blending in with coworkers who are genuinely
in the o昀케ce.
A 2023 survey found that
58% of hybrid workers
admi琀琀ed to co昀昀ee badging,
though this number dropped
slightly in 2024 to 44%.
Interes琀椀ngly, 70% of
employees who engaged
in co昀昀ee badging said their
managers no琀椀ced—but didn’t
enforce stricter rules.
Some companies are cracking
down by se琀�ng a minimum
four-hour a琀琀endance rule
per o昀케ce visit to prevent
co昀昀ee badging. But others
are turning a blind eye,
recognising that forcing
employees into the o昀케ce
doesn’t necessarily
boost produc琀椀vity.
Challenges
for Employers
Employers are facing a tough
balancing act. While many
leaders argue that in-person
collabora琀椀on drives innova琀椀on
and teamwork, employees
have enjoyed the 昀氀exibility
and produc琀椀vity that comes
with remote work. Common
challenges include:
• Manda琀椀ng o昀케ce
a琀琀endance without
crea琀椀ng resentment –
Employees want choice,
and forcing them back
can lead to disengagement
or turnover.
• Tracking produc琀椀vity
without micromanaging –
Measuring output ma琀琀ers
more than just physically
being in the o昀케ce.
• Maintaining a strong
workplace culture –
Hybrid work can make it
harder to foster connec琀椀on
and engagement between
employees.
A 2024 study found that
66% of employees prefer
hybrid work, but only 35%
feel their company has the
right balance. This highlights
the disconnect between
leadership expecta琀椀ons and
employee preferences.
