coffee badging

C

coffee-badging (noun)
/ˈkɔː.fi ˈbædʒ.ɪŋ/

Meaning

• The act of employees briefly visiting the office to register their presence, often by swiping their access badge, before departing to work remotely.
• A workplace behavior where staff members make a short appearance at the office, typically to be seen and perhaps grab a coffee, then leave to continue their tasks from another location.
• The practice of employees entering the workplace for a minimal duration, sufficient to log attendance and perhaps engage in brief social interactions, before exiting to perform their duties elsewhere.

Example Sentences

1. Many employees practice coffee-badging to satisfy in-office attendance policies while working remotely.
2. His manager noticed his coffee badging habit and questioned his productivity.
3. The company introduced stricter rules to prevent coffee-badging from becoming widespread.
4. Some workers see coffee-badging as a way to maintain flexibility without breaking office rules.
5. She stopped coffee badging when her employer required a minimum of four in-office hours.

Origin and History

“Coffee badging” refers to the practice where employees briefly visit their workplace—often just long enough to grab a coffee and be seen—before departing to work remotely. This behavior has gained prominence in discussions about hybrid work models and employee engagement. Understanding the term’s origin provides insight into evolving workplace dynamics.​

Coinage and Popularization

The term “coffee badging” was first introduced in June 2023 by Owl Labs, a company specializing in hybrid work solutions. Their workforce management report highlighted this emerging trend among employees navigating return-to-office mandates. The report noted that 58% of hybrid employees admitted to “showing face at the office for a short time before leaving to work elsewhere,” thereby coining the term.

Theories on the Term’s Origin

Several theories attempt to explain the emergence of “coffee badging”:

1. Response to Return-to-Office Policies: As organizations implemented return-to-office mandates post-pandemic, some employees sought minimal compliance strategies. By making brief appearances, they fulfilled attendance requirements while maintaining preferred remote work routines.
2. Desire for Flexibility: The term reflects a broader employee desire for flexible work arrangements. Workers may engage in coffee badging to balance in-person collaboration with the autonomy of remote work. ​
3. Symbolic Presence: Some view coffee badging as a form of impression management, where employees demonstrate presence without substantial in-office engagement, possibly due to dissatisfaction with office environments or a preference for remote productivity.

Synonyms

1. show face
2. badge in and bounce
3. office flyby
4. token attendance

Variants

• coffee badging (without a hyphen)
• badge-and-go
• badge in, check out

Drink, Work