Rhianna Benson
A controversial new office trend is doing the rounds in workplaces across the globe.
It's difficult to believe that this time four years ago, we were trapped within the compounds of our homes in the midst of a global pandemic, unsure whether we'd EVER be able to leave the house again.
Eventually - and very, very gradually - we were released back into the world again, equipped with a fabric face mask and bottles upon bottles of hand sanitiser.
Many aspects of the way we live our daily routines changed, however, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic - most notably, the way we work.
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Though plenty of jobs have since returned to a full-time in the office way of working, some bosses have found it both cheaper and earlier to implement an entirely remote process, with employees given the freedom to work from wherever they so wish.
There is a third option, however, known as the 'hybrid working model', and this is seen by many employers as giving their staff the best of both worlds, encouraging in-person sociability and at-home freedom simultaneously.
Well, according to the findings of a 2023 study, a huge proportion of 'hybrid workers' are actually taking part in 'coffee badging'.
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But what is 'coffee badging'? And are you unknowingly guilty of it?
This questionable 'office crime' essentially sees them taking liabilities when it comes to in-person requirements, with countless employees each week reportedly swiping into to their office building to fulfil your boss's in-person requirements - by grabbing a cup of joe, or hopping into a quick meeting - but leaving to flee home as quickly as possible.
According to a 2023 study of 2,000 US workers - carried out by videoconferencing company Owl Labs, who defined it as as 'showing face at the office and then leaving' - it was found that 58 percent of hybrid employees admitting to 'coffee badging', with an additional 8 percent claiming they were keen to give it a go.
Whilst it might seem reasonable to meet the general in-person requirements they duck out, according to one head of HR, it may actually damage your chances of excelling in the company you work for.
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That's right - according to one Human Resources worker (interviewed by journalist Hilke Schellmann as per The Huffington Post), 'coffee badging' could actually cost you a promotion.
The journalist reported about the company in this example: "They wanted to promote the people who had the longest hours at the office. So they looked at keycard swipe-in data.
"And then when it came to the pandemic, and they had to look at layoffs, they wanted to use this kind of data again to sort of understand who were the ‘least productive’ people, and they were going to look at the badge data logs."
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She went on: "Now with digital technology, everything leaves a trace, and that trace can be checked by superiors."
Doesn't sound so appealing now, does it?