Each year, new buzzwords are added to office speak. These are phrases that are usually born out of (or popularised by) social media and capture the current zeitgeist. Nupur Amarnath provides a list of some interesting phrases that made the cut in 2025.
Buzzwords are popping up faster than ever. From ‘bare minimum Mondays’ to ‘ job hugging’, these phrases seem to be getting ubiquitous, sparking curiosity, confusion, maybe even a little eye-rolling. But experts suggest that these shouldn’t just be dismissed as trendy catchphrases because they also reflect actual industry trends and the current mood of the workforce.
A June 2025 report by Canada-based HR research firm McLean & Company stated that buzzwords serve as cultural shorthand for complex organisational issues, often tied to rising disengagement, shifting expectations and unresolved challenges in the workplace. For example, behind ‘quiet quitting’ is a long-standing issue of employee disengagement.
The report stated: “Buzzwords may sound trendy, but they often point to something deeper — real frustrations, unmet needs or changing workforce norms.”
ANTI-PERKS
What it is: The opposite of perks
What it’s not: Being against a similarly-named chocolate
The term highlights a growing rejection of benefits that, despite being marketed as desirable, fail to add real value to employees’ lives. Instead, these so-called perks can actually make work unpleasant and often undermine satisfaction and productivity. Some examples of anti-perks are unlimited vacation policies (leave employees uncertain about how much time off is acceptable), on-site amenities like gyms that blur lines between work and play, and mandatory team-building events that can cause more stress if it eats into personal time.
What you learn: A ping-pong table at the break room is not an actual ‘perk’; clear career progression, competitive salaries and location flexibility are.
BARE MINIMUM MONDAYS
What it is: Getting rid of Monday blues
What it’s not: A call to bare it all
This trend bites the Monday blues right where it hurts by encouraging employees to ease into the week and focus on lighter tasks, keeping stress at bay at the beginning of the week. The idea is to focus on essential, manageable tasks on Mondays in order to combat burnout.
What you learn: Easing into the week can enhance long-term productivity and morale.
COFFEE BADGING
What it is: Showing up at work for enough time to just grab a coffee
What it’s not: Giving a badge to your Starbucks cuppa
Now that return-to-office mandates with some flexibility are back in place, we are firmly in the era of ‘coffee badging’. The concept is simple: you come to office, grab a latte, log in and complete a few tasks before signing out again and returning to a more preferred workspace. In a broader sense, it underscores the tension between employer expectations and employee preferences.
What you learn: Focus on results, not on time spent in the office.
LAZY GIRL JOBS
What it is: A TikTok term for work-life balance
What it’s not: A girl lazing around
This term went viral on TikTok, describing low-stress, flexible roles prioritising work-life balance over hustle. These jobs — like social media management, content moderation, copywriting — typically offer decent pay, remote or hybrid setups and minimal emotional burnout. They especially appeal to younger workers rejecting overwork and seeking boundaries.
What you learn: The rat race is not for everyone.
REVERSE MENTORING
What it is: Young teaching the oldies
What it’s not: Teaching how to back a car
Mentoring is mostly used when a younger person benefits from their older mentor’s experience. However, it’s 2025 and the tables have turned. Today, younger employees can teach their older colleagues, especially helpful in areas like tech and digital trends.
What you learn: It can build stronger cross-generational collaborations.
DRY PROMOTION
What it is: A sort of non-promotion
What it’s not: A promotion sans alcohol
Unlike traditional promotions that come with a change in title or salary, a dry promotion refers to an increase in responsibilities without a corresponding change in job title or compensation. The reason it’s growing is because organisations seek to reward high-performing employees but have to do it with budget constraints.
What you learn: A promotion is not always an upgrade.
RESENTEEISM
What it is: A feeling of resentment towards work
What it’s not: A bad day at work
This buzzword refers to employees harbouring feelings of resentment or dissatisfaction towards their work environment, leading to decreased engagement, productivity and morale. It can be because of unfair treatment, a lack of recognition or being overworked.
What you learn: Well-being at work needs a rethink.
OFFICE PEACOCKING
What it is: Sprucing up the workplace
What it’s not: Getting a peacock into the office
As return-to-office mandates became the norm, the goal is to create an inviting space that will encourage a return to pre-pandemic in-office work weeks. Companies made efforts to inject a sense of fun and innovation into the workplace, giving rise to “office peacocking”. However, an Owl Labs report found that while office aesthetics and comfort are beneficial, the key factors that truly motivate hybrid employees to make a return to the office are tangible benefits: covering commuting expenses (38%), enhanced privacy in office (34%) and relaxed dress codes (24%).
What you learn: Mere cosmetic changes don’t a beauty make.
QUIET CRACKING
What it is: A slow burnout
What it’s not: The art of cracking an egg
A little akin to resenteeism, but more towards burnout — quiet cracking is a state where employees feel increasingly unhappy, disengaged, or “cracking silently” under pressure. Yet they haven’t left their jobs and still show up, maybe even perform reasonably well, though the strain surfaces in fatigue, lack of motivation and a sense of being unheard. There’s also “quiet thriving” (not to be seen as a positive) — it’s employees switching to survival mode to handle the workplace. Experts have linked these feelings to challenges like economic uncertainty, unclear career paths and weak leadership.
What you learn: Upskilling will get you out of a rut.
CONSCIOUS UNBOSSING
What it is: A rejection of formal managerial roles
What it’s not: Not being bossy enough
Employees, especially Gen Z ones, may avoid or reject formal managerial roles because they prefer autonomy, flatter structures and role flexibility over traditional hierarchies. Conscious unbossing is a clear signal that employees choose to remain individual contributors and are not ready to take on leadership roles, posing a potential threat to an organisation’s leadership pipeline in the long run. According to a UK survey, 52% of Gen Z professionals are intentionally avoiding management positions.
What you learn: It’s not about leadership, but equating it with stress, limited autonomy and poor work-life balance.
QUITTOK
What it is: A new version of revenge/rage quitting
What it’s not: Tips to kick the butt
This TikTok trend follows people on camera quitting their jobs, sometimes dramatically, and posting it to social media. Coined as ‘loud quitting’, the opposite of quiet quitting, HR professionals discourage this practice as it leaves a digital footprint that will affect future prospects.
What you learn: Not everything needs to be recorded and documented.
HYBRID HUSHING
What it is: Working hybrid but secretly
What it’s not: Adding noise cancellation to a hybrid car
When management works around new in-office policies and allows their team to adjust or ignore the rules to better suit their preferences, hybrid hushing is deployed. It depends on managers as some managers believe that hybrid or remote work can be just as productive. It is a secretive way for workers to get around formal office requirements, with the support of their immediate manager.
What you learn: A happy employee will be more productive.
JOB HUGGING
What it is: Holding on to your job, no matter what
What it’s not: Hugging colleagues
This new term is used to describe when employees cling to their current roles amid employment insecurity. Against a backdrop of mass layoffs and economic uncertainty, many workers no longer feel like they hold the power in today’s job market. Rather than looking around, they prioritise stability, thereby hugging their current jobs tight in the hopes of maintaining their employment.
What you learn: Times are tough, but don’t give up hope.
FOBO
What it is: The quest to stay relevant
What it’s not: The new FOMO
FOBO (fear of becoming obsolete) is the new workplace anxiety gripping employees, as hyper automation and AI creep in faster than ever. One survey found that employees increasingly fear their roles will become irrelevant due to technology and many aren’t even sure how to prepare for the shift.
What you learn: Evolve or die.
Buzzwords are popping up faster than ever. From ‘bare minimum Mondays’ to ‘ job hugging’, these phrases seem to be getting ubiquitous, sparking curiosity, confusion, maybe even a little eye-rolling. But experts suggest that these shouldn’t just be dismissed as trendy catchphrases because they also reflect actual industry trends and the current mood of the workforce.
A June 2025 report by Canada-based HR research firm McLean & Company stated that buzzwords serve as cultural shorthand for complex organisational issues, often tied to rising disengagement, shifting expectations and unresolved challenges in the workplace. For example, behind ‘quiet quitting’ is a long-standing issue of employee disengagement.
The report stated: “Buzzwords may sound trendy, but they often point to something deeper — real frustrations, unmet needs or changing workforce norms.”
ANTI-PERKS
What it is: The opposite of perks
What it’s not: Being against a similarly-named chocolate
The term highlights a growing rejection of benefits that, despite being marketed as desirable, fail to add real value to employees’ lives. Instead, these so-called perks can actually make work unpleasant and often undermine satisfaction and productivity. Some examples of anti-perks are unlimited vacation policies (leave employees uncertain about how much time off is acceptable), on-site amenities like gyms that blur lines between work and play, and mandatory team-building events that can cause more stress if it eats into personal time.
What you learn: A ping-pong table at the break room is not an actual ‘perk’; clear career progression, competitive salaries and location flexibility are.
BARE MINIMUM MONDAYS
What it is: Getting rid of Monday blues
What it’s not: A call to bare it all
This trend bites the Monday blues right where it hurts by encouraging employees to ease into the week and focus on lighter tasks, keeping stress at bay at the beginning of the week. The idea is to focus on essential, manageable tasks on Mondays in order to combat burnout.
What you learn: Easing into the week can enhance long-term productivity and morale.
COFFEE BADGING
What it is: Showing up at work for enough time to just grab a coffee
What it’s not: Giving a badge to your Starbucks cuppa
Now that return-to-office mandates with some flexibility are back in place, we are firmly in the era of ‘coffee badging’. The concept is simple: you come to office, grab a latte, log in and complete a few tasks before signing out again and returning to a more preferred workspace. In a broader sense, it underscores the tension between employer expectations and employee preferences.
What you learn: Focus on results, not on time spent in the office.
LAZY GIRL JOBS
What it is: A TikTok term for work-life balance
What it’s not: A girl lazing around
This term went viral on TikTok, describing low-stress, flexible roles prioritising work-life balance over hustle. These jobs — like social media management, content moderation, copywriting — typically offer decent pay, remote or hybrid setups and minimal emotional burnout. They especially appeal to younger workers rejecting overwork and seeking boundaries.
What you learn: The rat race is not for everyone.
REVERSE MENTORING
What it is: Young teaching the oldies
What it’s not: Teaching how to back a car
Mentoring is mostly used when a younger person benefits from their older mentor’s experience. However, it’s 2025 and the tables have turned. Today, younger employees can teach their older colleagues, especially helpful in areas like tech and digital trends.
What you learn: It can build stronger cross-generational collaborations.
DRY PROMOTION
What it is: A sort of non-promotion
What it’s not: A promotion sans alcohol
Unlike traditional promotions that come with a change in title or salary, a dry promotion refers to an increase in responsibilities without a corresponding change in job title or compensation. The reason it’s growing is because organisations seek to reward high-performing employees but have to do it with budget constraints.
What you learn: A promotion is not always an upgrade.
RESENTEEISM
What it is: A feeling of resentment towards work
What it’s not: A bad day at work
This buzzword refers to employees harbouring feelings of resentment or dissatisfaction towards their work environment, leading to decreased engagement, productivity and morale. It can be because of unfair treatment, a lack of recognition or being overworked.
What you learn: Well-being at work needs a rethink.
OFFICE PEACOCKING
What it is: Sprucing up the workplace
What it’s not: Getting a peacock into the office
As return-to-office mandates became the norm, the goal is to create an inviting space that will encourage a return to pre-pandemic in-office work weeks. Companies made efforts to inject a sense of fun and innovation into the workplace, giving rise to “office peacocking”. However, an Owl Labs report found that while office aesthetics and comfort are beneficial, the key factors that truly motivate hybrid employees to make a return to the office are tangible benefits: covering commuting expenses (38%), enhanced privacy in office (34%) and relaxed dress codes (24%).
What you learn: Mere cosmetic changes don’t a beauty make.
QUIET CRACKING
What it is: A slow burnout
What it’s not: The art of cracking an egg
A little akin to resenteeism, but more towards burnout — quiet cracking is a state where employees feel increasingly unhappy, disengaged, or “cracking silently” under pressure. Yet they haven’t left their jobs and still show up, maybe even perform reasonably well, though the strain surfaces in fatigue, lack of motivation and a sense of being unheard. There’s also “quiet thriving” (not to be seen as a positive) — it’s employees switching to survival mode to handle the workplace. Experts have linked these feelings to challenges like economic uncertainty, unclear career paths and weak leadership.
What you learn: Upskilling will get you out of a rut.
CONSCIOUS UNBOSSING What it is: A rejection of formal managerial roles
What it’s not: Not being bossy enough
Employees, especially Gen Z ones, may avoid or reject formal managerial roles because they prefer autonomy, flatter structures and role flexibility over traditional hierarchies. Conscious unbossing is a clear signal that employees choose to remain individual contributors and are not ready to take on leadership roles, posing a potential threat to an organisation’s leadership pipeline in the long run. According to a UK survey, 52% of Gen Z professionals are intentionally avoiding management positions.
What you learn: It’s not about leadership, but equating it with stress, limited autonomy and poor work-life balance.
QUITTOK
What it is: A new version of revenge/rage quitting
What it’s not: Tips to kick the butt
This TikTok trend follows people on camera quitting their jobs, sometimes dramatically, and posting it to social media. Coined as ‘loud quitting’, the opposite of quiet quitting, HR professionals discourage this practice as it leaves a digital footprint that will affect future prospects.
What you learn: Not everything needs to be recorded and documented.
HYBRID HUSHING
What it is: Working hybrid but secretly
What it’s not: Adding noise cancellation to a hybrid car
When management works around new in-office policies and allows their team to adjust or ignore the rules to better suit their preferences, hybrid hushing is deployed. It depends on managers as some managers believe that hybrid or remote work can be just as productive. It is a secretive way for workers to get around formal office requirements, with the support of their immediate manager.
What you learn: A happy employee will be more productive.
JOB HUGGING
What it is: Holding on to your job, no matter what
What it’s not: Hugging colleagues
This new term is used to describe when employees cling to their current roles amid employment insecurity. Against a backdrop of mass layoffs and economic uncertainty, many workers no longer feel like they hold the power in today’s job market. Rather than looking around, they prioritise stability, thereby hugging their current jobs tight in the hopes of maintaining their employment.
What you learn: Times are tough, but don’t give up hope.
FOBO
What it is: The quest to stay relevant
What it’s not: The new FOMO
FOBO (fear of becoming obsolete) is the new workplace anxiety gripping employees, as hyper automation and AI creep in faster than ever. One survey found that employees increasingly fear their roles will become irrelevant due to technology and many aren’t even sure how to prepare for the shift.
What you learn: Evolve or die.
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