When was the last time you worked a full week in the office? Take a straw-poll of your friends and you’ll likely find that the answer to this question is different for nearly everyone. What’s certain, however, is that you’ll know at least one person who’s been roped back into five days a week of workplace face-time – and is less than happy about it.
The pandemic ushered in a new era of flexible working, but a vast majority of companies that once embraced WFH culture are increasingly calling time on hybrid schedules. According to the KPMG 2024 CEO Outlook report, more than 83 per cent of UK CEOs expect to see a full return to the office within three years; another survey by Virgin Media found that around 40 per cent of UK firms already require a five-day office week from their employees. These statistics aren’t always to the taste of staff, however: indeed, recent data from the human resources magazine People Management suggested that more than two thirds of people would start looking for another job if they were ordered to spend more time in the office.
“We're seeing a clash between what companies want and what employees have grown to love – there is a real disconnect between employers and employees at the moment,” says Viv Paxinos, CEO of the careers-focused women’s members club AllBright and Everywoman, an organisation that connects women in business worldwide. It’s no surprise, therefore, that employees have found a way to skirt new requirements: ‘coffee badging’, the viral workplace trend you might have noticed taking over your social media feeds.
What is coffee badging?
This somewhat controversial practice refers to dropping by the office for just a few hours – long enough to fit in a couple of meetings, have a coffee with co-workers and swipe their badge (hence the moniker) – before heading back early to work from home for the rest of the day.
The term was first coined in a 2023 report by Owl Labs, which found that 58 per cent of hybrid workers surveyed preferred “showing face at the office and then leaving”. Millennials are apparently the most likely to engage in coffee badging, followed closely by Gen X, while older generations are the happiest to spend time at the office.
Why is coffee badging so popular now?
“Flexibility is now a top priority when evaluating career opportunities,” says Paxinos. “This represents a fundamental shift in workplace values that many organisations are still catching up to. I've spoken with countless women who tell me they're simply more productive without office distractions. When companies start mandating full-time office returns without acknowledging these very real benefits, coffee badging becomes this clever middle ground – a way of saying that you’ll play by the rules, but still protect what works for you.”
In the opinion of Caroline Green, career coach and founder of The Talent Cycle, coffee badging is a direct result of “post-pandemic world settling”. As companies ask for more hours in the office to foster a more connected culture, employees are increasingly “finding different ways to make work work, within the new guide rails they have been given”.
Is coffee badging a bad idea?
Whether coffee badging is damaging to your career or not very much depends on how much you, and your workplace, value face-to-face contact. “If someone is using office time productively it can be good for their career progression, as it’s reinforcing their personal brand and demonstrates them – literally – showing up to the business,” says Green. In other words, out of sight could mean out of mind – and shirking the office might cause you to miss out on important opportunities.
However, coffee badging can also be a helpful technique for preventing presenteeism. For Emily Button-Lynham, founder of the career coaching service EBC, this new trend is also a valuable way for employees to take back control. Companies enforcing a return to the office has been “hugely damaging to psychological safety, with many employees feeling a lack of trust in them to do their jobs unless they’re in the office environment,” she says. In her opinion, coffee badging is actually a good way for employees “to get all of the benefits of a workplace: a sense of belonging with colleagues, problem-solving discussions and a connection to the bigger vision and purpose of the organisation”, while still being able to work productively at home.
How can I ask for more flexibility at work?
If you find yourself drawn to coffee badging, it might be worth having a discussion with your manager about how to make your schedule work better for you – and the company. “Communicate openly and honestly with your leader,” advises Button-Lynham. “If you’re performing at a high level and there is trust between you and your employer, there’s no reason you can’t keep your hours flexible.”
Paxinos stresses that “framing makes all the difference” in negotiations. “Focus on how flexibility enhances what you deliver. Start by gathering evidence of the projects you have completed ahead of schedule while working remotely, any positive client feedback, and additional tasks you were able to take on without the commute eating into your day.” It’s also important to propose a clear work schedule, as “managers will always be more receptive to requests when they’re presented as structured plans rather than open-ended arrangements”.
Remember, too, that the Flexible Working Act of 2023 gives you the right to request flexible working from day one of employment. It doesn’t give you the automatic right to have it, but if your employer is refusing your request, they need to have legitimate grounds to do so.
Should I ask for more face-time from my staff?
But what if you find yourself on the other side of the debate – as a manager who’d like your team to be more present? “Consider why you’re asking for this,” says Green. “Most of the clients I work with don’t mind going into the office as long as there’s a specific reason to do so. Think about your ‘why’ and communicate it with your team.” Also, be honest with yourself when establishing your reasoning. If you don't have confidence that your team are working hard when they're not in the office, there may be bigger trust issues that need tackling.
For Paxinos, “making the office environment special” with comfortable collaboration spaces and planned lunches for in-person days helps, as does “practising what you preach as a manager” and keeping your own attendance high. There’s a lot you can do to make the office a more attractive place to be, “but at the end of the day, workplace culture is always evolving. As a leader, you need to be honest about what culture you want to create – whether that's fully in-office, hybrid, or remote-first – and then it's up to employees to decide if they want to be part of it.”
