Employees are clocking in, grabbing a coffee, and heading home. Is this a clever workaround for flexibility, or a sign of a broken hybrid model?
You set your alarm, commute to the office, swipe your badge at the door, and head straight for the coffee machine. You chat with a couple of colleagues for ten minutes, maybe sit through a single morning meeting. Then, you pack up your laptop, get back in your car, and finish the workday from your home office. If this routine sounds familiar, you might be “coffee badging,” whether you knew the term for it or not.
This is the latest trend defining the ongoing tug-of-war between employers and employees over the future of work. Coffee badging is the practice of making a brief, symbolic appearance at the office—often just long enough to be seen, grab a coffee, and have a quick social interaction—before returning home to work remotely for the remainder of the day.
It is not quite quiet quitting, and it is not outright rebellion. It is a nuanced, calculated response to mandated hybrid work policies that many feel are missing the mark. A recent 2025 survey from Monster sheds light on how common this practice has become, who is doing it, and what it reveals about the deep-seated desire for true flexibility in the modern workplace. This is not just about skipping the office; it is about workers actively designing a workday that they believe makes them more productive and balanced.
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