Hey folks! Ever felt like you’re just pretending to show up at work? You know, reaching the office, grabbing your chai or coffee, popping into a couple of meetings, catching up with colleagues, and then quietly sneaking out by lunchtime? If that sounds familiar, congratulations, you might just be a “ ”! This quirky term was coined by Owl Labs in its 2023 State of Hybrid Work report. And it describes employees who show up at the office just to prove that they’re working, only to head home, slip into comfy pyjamas and continue working remotely until clock-out time. And while this trend might sound a bit far-fetched, it’s apparently happening right here too, especially in hybrid workplaces where fixed office days don’t exactly suit everyone’s preferences.
In the US though, coffee badging seems to be more rampant. More than half of hybrid employees reportedly engage in it, dragging themselves to the office on days they’d rather stay home. If you’re wondering why, well, it’s partly because the US job market’s cooling.
Last month they added just 2.3 lakh jobs — a steep drop from the 4 lakh jobs added monthly in 2022. With fewer opportunities to job-hop, many employees are playing it safe.
Basically, they’re holding onto jobs that offer some form of flexibility, even if it means sneaking out midday. But here’s the thing. Employers seem to have caught on to this little secret.
Some companies are cracking down, mandating specific office days, or even tellin.