Over half of hybrid workers are finding ways to get around in-office mandates as companies strictly reinforce them.
The most significant debates surrounding in-person setups revolve around the balance between flexibility and structure, productivity and accountability, work-life balance, team collaboration, employee well-being, technology requirements, corporate culture, talent acquisition, and retention.
As companies embrace the evolving landscape of work setups, here are three things how great bosses can abandon outdated workplace practices:
1. Coffee-Badging
The newest strategy is called "coffee badging," where an employee briefly shows up in the office in the morning to be seen and leaves with few assignments to be continued at home after heading out by 3 p.m., according to Owl Labs, a company specializing in video conference solutions for hybrid workplaces.
Initially, coffee badging may seem a clever way to avoid constantly being in the office. However, it's frequently used for genuine reasons related to productivity and personal preferences.
According to Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Boston-based Owl Labs, with over 20 years of executive experience from startups to Yahoo, more bosses should support it instead of enforcing strict in-office rules. Weishaupt emphasizes that he doesn't hire people to monitor their work, and much as he values in-office participation, he prefers to stay organic. While the office has a role, enforcing specific in-office schedules is "a dead concept."
Employees agree, with 58% of hybrid workers admitting to "coffee badging," as reported in Owl Labs' 2023 State of Hybrid Work report. Employees with flexible schedules also tend to be more productive than those without, according to a 2023 Future Forum Pulse survey.
2. The Use of AI Tools
Many business leaders, including Weishaupt, are still navigating the use of AI in the workplace. However, he is not avoiding it and encourages his employees to explore leveraging it for productivity and organization.
Other CEOs, including Mark Cuban, share the sentiment. Cuban highlighted AI as a future workplace essential on a 2022 episode of "The Colin Cowherd Podcast," hosted by Fox Sports anchor Colin Cowherd, emphasizing that companies must grasp AI to stay competitive.
3. Money-Saving Perks
Given inflation and increased costs, thoughtful leaders understand the importance of offering perks to employees while they are in the office, as noted by Weishaupt.
Before the pandemic, workers used to cover commuting costs all the time, like buying gas, train tickets, and lunch. But when you start saving that money and then have to spend it again, it feels like a hit to your salary, says Weishaupt.
According to Owl Labs' report, on average, employees spend $51 per day for office-related expenses, covering parking, commuting, breakfast, and lunch costs. Offering perks like free lunch or parking can boost enthusiasm for in-person collaboration and may also attract new talent.
According to Weishaupt, many of these perks don't require significant expenses for employers but hold value because they represent a single quality that all workers desire from their bosses: "consideration." Business leaders need to find strategies and solutions that work for them and their employees, which Weishaupt emphasizes as a big deal.
