The Rise of “Coffee Badging”
Is Your Return-to-Office Policy Creating Theater Instead of Culture?
If you have been tracking badge swipes to measure the success of your Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate, think twice. It could be an example of “Coffee Badging,” the latest trend keeping HR leaders up at night.
Coffee Badging represents a fundamental disconnect between policy and purpose. It’s a form of compliance that technically meets the requirements of a mandate while completely missing the spirit of it. And in this blog post, Cisso Bean & Dutch will explain both how it occurs and how to avoid it.
What is Coffee Badging?
Coined in response to strict “days in office” mandates, Coffee Badging is the act of an employee showing up to the office for the bare minimum amount of time required to “count” as an in-person day.
- They fight traffic to commute in, swipe their badge to register their presence, grab a coffee, maybe chat with a coworker for thirty minutes to “be seen,” and then retreat to their home office to do their actual deep work.
According to Owl Labs’ 2024 State of Hybrid Work report, nearly half of hybrid workers (44%) admit to coffee badging.
- That means over half of your hybrid workforce might be physically present just long enough to get credit, but mentally disengaged from the office environment.
Why It’s Happening
It is easy to label this as compliance theater or laziness, but in reality, the causes of this trend go beyond those problems.
- The “Commute to Zoom” Frustration:Driving 45 minutes in rush hour traffic, finding a desk, and then spending the next six hours on Zoom calls you could have taken from home can be demoralizing.
- If the office doesn’t offer a specific advantage (like in-person collaboration, mentorship, or specialized equipment) for that day’s tasks, employees might view the commute as “wasted time.”
- Many will leave as soon as the “attendance” box is checked. And if they can’t, they might “check out” mentally.
- Productivity vs. Presence: Workers have realized they are sometimes more productive at home, free from the distractions of open-plan offices or interruptions.
- Some might view the office as a place for connection, not execution. They come in to maintain relationships, but they leave to get the job done.
- Mandates Without “Why”: When leadership demands “3 days a week” without explaining why those specific days matter or what creates value during that time, employees treat it like a bureaucratic hoop to jump through.
- Without a compelling “Why,” the “What” becomes a game to be gamified.
“Magnetic” vs. “Mandated”
You don’t solve Coffee Badging with stricter policing, such as checking IP addresses. You solve it by making the office a resource, not a requirement.
Make your space magnetic! You can start with…
- Anchor Days (Intentional Gathering): Don’t just say “come in 3 days.” Designate specific days where everyone is there for a reason.
- Create “Anchor Days” for collaborative work, town halls, or team lunches. If an employee knows that coming in on Wednesday means they will actually see their team, brainstorm on a whiteboard, and have lunch together, the commute becomes worth the connection.
- A Focus on Output, Not Swipes: Shift your metrics from inputs (hours in chair) to outcomes (results delivered).
- Are teams delivering? Are projects moving? If the work is getting done at a high level, treat your employees like the professionals they are.
- Reshaping the Office for Collaboration: If your office is just rows of silent cubicles, people won’t be excited to work there.
- Design spaces that facilitate what they can’t get on Zoom: spontaneous, creative energy. Invest in huddle rooms, social hubs, and technology that make hybrid meetings seamless.
The Takeaway
Ask your teams what would make them want to stay past that second cup of coffee. The answer isn’t “free pizza”; it’s purpose, connection, and the ability to do their best work!
Want to learn more about the strategies and solutions above? Consider our Human Resources Consulting Services! We have an established track record of helping businesses implement “best-in-class” programs, and we’d be delighted to step in and help your team reach its full potential.Contact us today to learn more!