Amazon is implementing strict measures to crack down on ‘coffee badging’ in order to enforce its return-to-office policy.
Amazon has implemented more stringent policies to monitor the time corporate workers spend at the office in an effort to combat the phenomenon known as “coffee badging.” This practice involves employees simply stopping by the office, sometimes just to get a coffee, to fulfill the company’s return-to-office (RTO) guidelines without actually working there. Under the updated guidelines, employees in different departments, including retail and cloud computing, are now required to spend a minimum of two hours per visit to the office, with certain teams mandated to stay for at least six hours.
Understanding the coffee brand
“Coffee tagging” has become a workaround for employees to technically comply with Amazon’s RTO policies without fulfilling the purpose of physical presence and office work. Amazon’s updated enforcement strategy targets that behavior and reinforces a policy it implemented last year that requires most companies’ employees to be in the office three days a week. By setting a minimum duration for office visits, Amazon hopes to ensure that employees are actually working in the office, rather than just making brief appearances.
Worker resistance and Amazon’s response
The tougher enforcement comes as Amazon faces its major push. After the reinstatement policy was announced last year, around 30,000 workers signed a petition against it. In response to this opposition, Amazon has taken several steps to ensure compliance. These include mandatory transfers of certain employees, withholding promotions from those who do not follow the policy, and even suggesting that employees who disagree with the policy may consider leaving the company.
Amazon spokeswoman Margaret Callahan told Business Insider in an email that the company is “directly targeting employees who have not spent enough time in the office,” indicating a strong stance on the issue.
Wider implications
Amazon is not alone in this challenge. According to a study by video conferencing company Owl Labs, 58% of hybrid workers admitted to participating in coffee labeling. In addition, the WFH Research study found that managers are becoming increasingly strict about RTO policies, with 23 percent of managers reporting that employees who objected to these practices had to be fired, up from 11 percent in 2022.
Amazon’s initiative reflects a broader trend among companies seeking to balance the flexibility of remote work with the need for office collaboration. As companies navigate a changing work environment, the implementation of RTO policies remains a contentious issue.
