The term describes those who show up at the office just long enough to be counted as present, before leaving to work elsewhere
Your employer said you had to show up at the office. But they never said you had to stay there. That’s the ethos behind coffee badging, the latest buzzword(s) used to describe workers who don’t want to work in the traditional way.
What is coffee badging?
It’s the practice of showing up at your workplace just long enough to swipe your badge and prove you were there, and maybe grab a coffee with a colleague or take a quick meeting. After that, you leave the workplace and spend the rest of the day working from home, or a coffee shop, or wherever you choose.
Where did the term originate?
The survey found that more than half of hybrid employees (58 per cent) had engaged in the practice, with another 8 per cent saying they haven’t but would like to try it.
The survey also found that 66 per cent of respondents said they were in the office full-time, but only 22 per cent wanted to be. Clearly something had to give, and coffee badging was it.
Who are the coffee badgers?
Is it useful?
Yes and no. If you’re required to log in at work and really don’t want to be there, coffee badging can let you be more productive than if you were tied to your desk all day. Plus, heading home at 2 p.m. (or noon, or 9:30…) means you can avoid rush hour.
How to make it work for you
“If you have the flexibility of choosing which three days you need to be in, figure out … how you can potentially combine your commute with other things that require attention in your personal life, (like) if you need to run errands,” she said.
How can you stop it?
Granted, the survey was commissioned by Flavia, which markets hot beverage systems. And it would also seem to play right in coffee badgers’ hands. Maybe chain the mug to the desk?
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