Another week, another ‘Wave’ ???

5 news items from the world of work and workplace you can digest in 5 minutes.

This week:

1. The rise of ‘coffee-badging’ shows appreciation for office interaction
2. In-office mandates are hurting company growth
3. Flexibility is helping women be more ambitious than ever

Morning Joe and Go: 58% of hybrid workers admit to “coffee badging,” according to a recent survey by Owl Labs . The growing practice, of entering the office briefly, often just for morning coffee, before returning home to work, is redefining what it means to be ‘in the office’. Owl Labs CEO, Frank Weishaupt believes this showcases employees’ appreciation of office interactions while also valuing the flexibility of remote work. The emphasis on flexibility, trust, and productivity will likely grow in the coming years, and the rise of “coffee badging” points to a desire from many employees for a balanced work environment that caters to both professional and personal needs. Read Full Article.

Affecting Growth: In-office requirements are hurting companies, reports Fox News Media . The desire for work flexibility, not to commute, and for a better work-life balance is going nowhere. Companies allowing more flexible work arrangements for their employees are winning the talent war, increasing their workforce by more than twice the rate of their in-office counterparts, according to data from a report by The Flex Index. Airbnb , who has opted for a Live and Work from Anywhere Program, cited that moving to a fully remote team will enable them to "hire and retain" the best people, without limitations from office commuting radiuses, saying the best people "live everywhere." Read Full Article.

Handling it Right: Hybrid work could be a win-win — if employers handle it right, reports Business Insider . There's a way to structure hybrid policies that keep employees productive, Gallup found. Managers should explain the rationale behind return-to-office policies and, striking the right balance, can help workers find a better work-life balance. When managers fail to communicate why they enacted hybrid strategies that may not consider the preferences and needs of employees, productivity and team culture may erode. "Too often, leaders get locked into only focusing on mandating the perfect policy and do not put enough work into ensuring the manager and team are empowered to make smart adjustments to the policy that support how they best work," Ben Wigert, Ph.D, MBA , director of research and strategy, workplace management at Gallup, told Insider. "When teams are not empowered to collaboratively tailor their hybrid work approach within a set of guidelines, they tend to feel like the rules are being forced upon them—even if leaders actually intend to provide guidelines that make hybrid flexibility possible and more effective," Wigert said. Read Full Article.

The Future is Hybrid: Over half of remote-capable employees expect and prefer hybrid work, according to Gallup . ‘Hybrid’ is the most common style of work for remote-capable employees, which illustrates how the modern workplace has transformed. In 2019, 60% of remote-capable employees spent their week working fully on-site, whereas that figure has fallen to just 20% in 2023. In contrast, only 8% worked exclusively remotely in 2019, compared with the 29% of remote-capable employees who are fully remote today. This means that approximately 40% of remote-capable employees have shifted from working entirely on-site to either a hybrid or exclusively remote work arrangement.The report also shows that when employees work from their desired location, they tend to be more engaged at work, less burned out and less likely to quit. Give your employees choice! Read Full Article.

Women in the Workplace: Women are more ambitious than ever, and workplace flexibility is fueling them, according to the latest Women in the Workplace report from 麦肯锡 . Yet despite some hard-fought gains, women’s representation is not keeping pace. Conducted in partnership with LeanIn.Org, the survey of 27,000 employees and 270 HR leaders showed that flexibility is allowing women to pursue their ambitions: overall, one in ?ve women say flexible work has helped them stay in their job or avoid reducing their hours.? A large number of women who work hybrid or remotely point to feeling less fatigued and burned out as a primary bene?t. And a majority of women report having more focused time to get their work done when they work remotely. Read Full Article.?