As a business practice, hot desking has been around since the 1990’s. The term refers to the idea of employees not having an assigned desk or work area - rather, they move around the office as required, coming into contact with different teams and work practices and allowing for desk usage to be multiple, rather than single.

There are obvious advantages to such a practice. For starters, space is often at a premium in modern offices, as rents and property prices rise and inner city units come at a premium. Hot desking allows for more employees than desks, with workspace usage being staggered over the day as people come in and out of the office. It also allows for more flexible design within the workplace as employees become increasingly mobile, often needing nothing more than their laptop and phone to get their work done.

However, this arrangement brings with it the need for secure onsite storage facilities. Without a dedicated workspace, employees can feel disconnected and so providing personal lockers and communal staff areas means they can still feel part of the workplace as well as being able to store their belongings safely. Providing multiple use laptops, tablets and computers also requires secure storage facilities, such as our range of locking workstations or safe boxes.

In previous blog posts we’ve discussed the importance of providing secure storage for employees as well as dedicated places to relax and interact. Increasingly flexible arrangements such as hot desking make this even more relevant within the workplace. We’ve also discussed the idea of thinking outside the square when choosing furniture for your workplace, and our range of work benches, locking cabinets and standing computer stations are well suited to this new free-range type of office space.

As business trends race ahead, sustainable practices and increased employee mobility are emerging as strong contenders for 2015. Looking at ways to maximise space and resources while making best use of all that technology has to offer makes for a leaner business model, something to which most companies aspire. Hot desking is part of this new process and, if set up and managed properly, can make for an even more productive workplace.

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