Many hybrid employees are unhappy as companies are mandating more in-office days—and they’re doing something about it: coffee badging. Coffee badging is where employees badge into the office and only stay a few hours before leaving again. 58% of hybrid workers participate in coffee badging, and another 8% say they’re considering it.
With such a large portion of hybrid workers engaging in coffee badge behavior, this can harm company culture and lead many people to resent their employer. But how can it be stopped? Read on to understand its origin and how to respond to it.
What is Coffee Badging?
First things first, what is coffee badging? The term is actually pretty straightforward—coffee badging meaning you show up at the office to badge in, get coffee, and then leave. Sometimes called coffee swiping, it’s basically just stopping in the office to show face, chat with a few people, and return home.
The term originated from an Owl Labs study where they found the behavior was common, and the term became used to refer to the act of badging in, getting coffee, and leaving. So why do employees do this? We’ll cover the key reasons that drive this behavior.
Quiet Quitting and Coffee Badging
For some employees, there is a quiet quitting to coffee badging pipeline. They get less motivated to work, start doing less work, and are effectively waiting to get in trouble or let go.
Coffee swiping can be another way for those employees quietly quitting to keep it up; they show up at the office, badge in, talk, and get coffee all while not really doing their work or putting in much effort.
Similarly, it can also be tied to resenteeism. Employees get more and more resentful about their work, and it can result in them showing up just to badge in and go home. However, there is a much bigger factor driving this behavior.
The Reluctant Return to Office
The wave of coffee badging originally coincided with aggressive RTO mandates. Companies required office attendance one to three days weekly after the pandemic subsides, and employees weren’t happy with it. Commuting, lack of workplace perks, and rigid schedules drove coffee badge behavior.
With one day a week required, employees can badge in, get coffee, chat in the lobby, then badge out to work from home the rest of the time. Employers often expect presence to equal productivity, but coffee badges reveal that attendance doesn’t guarantee engagement or output.
Making matters worse, office energy dips when coffee badging floods workspaces. It’s more challenging to schedule meetings, impromptu brainstorming sessions, and watercooler conversations when employees are there one minute and gone the next.
Pros and Cons of Coffee Badging
While the coffee badging job trend might seem all good or all bad to you, there are points on both sides. Understanding the pros and cons is important to handle the issue effectively, so let’s look at them both.
Pros
- Flexibility. Coffee badging gives employees autonomy to satisfy office requirements without losing remote comfort.
- Maintained Presence. It keeps a semblance of office visibility; managers can at least say employees are “in.”
- Casual Networking. Even brief interactions over coffee may spark connections or discussions.
- Stress-Free Transition. Perfect for days when remote availability rules or deadlines can be met off-site.
- Hybrid Compromise. A middle ground between all-in office and all-remote workplace models.
- Morale Booster. For some employees, coffee badging allows them to ease back into office life while securing feelings of employee well-being, without feeling overwhelmed or micromanaged.
- Routine without Rigidity. It helps workers maintain a light structure to their day while still enjoying the flexibility of remote work.
Cons
- Appearance Over Action. Employees may seem present without contributing real value.
- Collaboration Gap. Brief stints reduce spontaneous teamwork and deeper discussions.
- Unequal Access. Not every employee can flexibly coffee badge. On-site staff may resent remote employees who are ‘playing’ the system.
- Superficial Culture. Coffee badging may hinder community building, reducing the odds of coworkers developing deeper social bonds.
- Impression Management. It reflects distrust and can erode workplace culture.
Why Employees Will Coffee Badge to Begin With
Coffee badging is not simply an act of defiance or laziness. It is often a practical response to outdated policies or uninspiring work environments. Many employees feel more productive, comfortable, or trusted when working remotely. For some, it is about managing personal obligations, saving on commute costs, or maintaining a better work-life balance. Others may find that the office lacks meaningful interaction, clear purpose, or the resources they need to do their best work.
When the physical workspace offers little more than a coffee machine and fluorescent lights, the motivation to stay dwindles. Coffee badging often highlights a disconnect between employer expectations and employee realities. Understanding why it happens helps leaders build smarter, more engaging strategies for hybrid work success.
How Employers Can Respond to Coffee Badging
There are many different ways to approach this issue; some companies have taken a strict stance and require employees to be in office all day, while others have decided to allow the behavior with conditions.
Let’s go through a few strategies you can use to respond to coffee swiping and do what’s best for your business and employees.
Prioritize Results Over Presence
One of the best strategies for coffee swiping is to focus on results. That might seem incredibly obvious and something that every business does, but it’s something that a lot of businesses just don’t seem to understand.
At the end of the day, what matters most is whether or not employees are getting their work done. Does where they choose to work actually impact the quality of their work itself? In many and arguably most cases, no (assuming it’s work that can be done remotely in the first place).
This is a method of thinking particularly common with Gen Z employees. They look at it from a very practical point of view—if I can get my work done just as well at home without having to commute, why should I go into the office all the time?
Instead of forcing employees to come back into the office, let them work remotely or hybrid if they are meeting their goals and getting their work done. Schedule regular check-ins so make sure their work is on time and up to par.
Allow for Flexibility
Flexible work arrangements can go a long way in giving employees the freedom they want while still allowing for in-person work when necessary.
You don’t want to be a boy who cries wolf. If you constantly tell employees they need to be in the office a couple of times a week when they don’t need to, they’ll get tired of it. That can lead to coffee badging.
Instead, give employees freedom and flexibility. Let them work from home or wherever else they want. And on those occasions when you do need them in the office, they’re much more likely to be accommodating and understanding.
There are other benefits to this strategy too, such as preventing presenteeism. Giving employees flexibility means they won’t feel obligated to come into the office on days they’re sick or injured, which actually increases productivity in the grand scheme.
It also supports work-life balance. Employees working from home have more free time due to not commuting, and they generally have better well-being. Simply having the freedom to work where you want can do wonders for work-life balance.
Be Transparent
Another good tip for dealing with coffee swiping is to be transparent. However you decide to handle it, transparency is something you should prioritize. Without transparent communication, it’ll be near impossible to get employees onboard with whatever you decide.
Talk about coffee swiping, ask how employees feel about it, whether they think it’s a problem or not, and how they think it should be handled. Getting their input makes them feel involved and helps create honest discussions about the topic.
Get their feedback on any changes or policies too. If you try something new like allowing hybrid work for those who meet certain goals, see what employees think about it. Do they like it? Do they have suggestions? Their input is valuable.
In turn, all of that means management needs to communicate clearly and transparently. If they aren’t communicating, employees won’t communicate either. So management needs to lead the way and set an example when it comes to transparent communication.
A pro of this is that it can help with turnover. Employees who feel actively involved in the workplace and decision making process are much more likely to say, so don’t underestimate the power of communication and transparency.
Make the Office Attractive
If you’re set on trying to get employees back in the office, make the office more attractive. Don’t force them to come back; make the office a place that they want to come back to so they make that decision themselves.
Trying to force them back comes with many downsides. It creates tension and resentment, causing employees to leave, quiet quit, and can result in coffee swiping. Letting them make that decision themselves though is another story. Employees feel empowered when they make decisions, and they’ll be excited to come back to the office if it’s a choice made of their own volition.
So, make the office a place they want to be. That could mean adding new facilities like a gym or providing office luncheons or snacks. Fun team building activities and office events are another great way to get people excited about working in the office.
The Amazing Race and Mystery Bus for example are both team building activities that are great for incentivizing a return to office. These events involved your team having fun all across your city, providing a fun break from the day-to-day while building bonds.
Beat Coffee Badging for Good
Coffee badging is the latest workplace trend, and it typically arises in response to poor workplace policies and leadership. While it may be tempting to force employees back to the office, it often results in things like coffee swiping and resenteeism.
Instead, give employees freedom and agency. Let them work whether they want as long as they’re meeting their goals. And if you really want to get your employees back in the office, make it attractive so they make that decision themselves.
If you’re ready to beat coffee badging for good and want to entice employees back to the office, TeamBonding can help. We have a variety of team building activities that can help make the office somewhere employees want to be. Get in touch with us to get started.
