Hybrid workers are 'coffee badging' to spend less time in the office and dodge RTO mandates

• Hybrid workers are dodging return-to-office mandates by "coffee badging."
• The workplace trend involves showing up at the office for a few hours before leaving.
• The practice allows employees to catch up with colleagues, while saving time and money.

Hybrid workers have a new way to dodge return-to-office mandates: "coffee badging."

The workplace trend involves showing up at the office, grabbing a coffee, and then leaving to complete the work day somewhere else. Employees collect a metaphorical "badge" for visiting the office, even if it's only for a few hours.

Stylist reported on the trend this week and interviewed Liz Villani, founder of #BeYour selfAtWork and the #iAM global movement, who referred to "coffee badging" as "presenteeism in the most fleeing of methods."

People used the process as a way to swiftly get back to their default option of working from home, she said.

Forbes had previously reported on the trend's use as a coping mechanism among workers.

"Coffee badging" has become more popular as more companies have started to enforce return-to-office mandates. A June survey of 2,000 people from Owl Labs, a company that makes videoconferencing devices, found that 58% of hybrid employees are joining the trend.

Another 8% of respondents said they hadn't tried "coffee badging," but would like to in the future. The practice allows employees to catch up with colleagues while saving time by skipping the rush hour commute and money by avoiding pricy lunch costs.

The trend comes amid a wider rift between employees and bosses over remote work. The availability of remote jobs has been declining over the last year as businesses adjust to a post-pandemic world.

While remote work is popular with employees, new studies have suggested that productivity may be taking a hit when a workforce is fully remote.

Big Tech companies, including Google and Meta, have been pushing return-to-office policies and mandating office days. Monitoring attendance using badge swipes has become more common among tech companies, too.