JACKETS ON OFFICE CHAIRS — THE NEW TOWELS ON “SUN-BEDS” SAGA?

It is one thing arriving around the pool on your summer holiday to find there are no beds, but quite another to arrive at work on a daily basis and have to battle for a desk!

Many of us have been victims of the “sun-bed nabbers” on our summer holidays. We arrive around the pool to find that the only beds not decorated with towels are right by the toilets, next to the family of twenty on their annual binge-drinking jolly! Failing this our only other option is to take the ones with broken runners that will only allow you to lay flat.

Now it seems there is a similar phenomenon spreading through the workplace in the form of “desk-nabbing”! Since corporations began adopting the practice of “hot-desking”, staff are finding it increasingly difficult to compete on a daily basis for the best spot in the office.

Hot desking was widely introduced around the turn of this century, with companies like British Airways making office provision for their pilots and crew as they touched down for short periods and needed to complete flight records, etc, before starting their rest periods. Clearly this was, and still is a good solution in such circumstances; where employees are continually on the move between offices, airports, depots etc and need just a simple space for a short period of time in each location.

But for companies whose employees are based primarily in the one location, whilst it is clear to see the potential for cutting overheads as a result of this practice, can it really be cost-effective in the long run? Realistically, we have to ask — how do office staff feel about not having their own dedicated space in the workplace?

Branding Expert Susi Jacobs of The Authentic Branding Company has seen and worked in global corporations who have introduced hot-desking to their staff, but with unexpectedly damaging side-effects.

“I’ve seen staff get in at ridiculous hours of the morning just to secure the desk nearest the window”, recalls Susi “or they would leave their jacket, their tie — or even their coffee cup to “reserve” the desk. It caused the pettiest of rows and simmering resentment, among normally sane, professional people, which was awkward, embarrassing and damaging to the teams’ morale and productivity.”

Others we have spoken with talked of missing having their own space and that sense of belonging. The personal touches associated with having your desk, belongings, and post it notes, all contribute towards making us feel comfortable and safe. And many of us are more productive in such an environment, whereas being in an impersonal, unfamiliar space can certainly cause stress to staff and put unhealthy barriers between colleagues.

A professional within a major bank found that setting up at a new workstation every day can take up to 20 minutes. “Every workspace is slightly different which means by the time you have got everything you need from your locker, found your desk, set up your laptop and got your screen and keyboard working you’ve already wasted at least a quarter of an hour every day.”

A survey carried out for BBC iWonder found that “Hot desking can cut the costs of running an office by up to 30%, so it’s popular with employers. But some surveys say more than a quarter of companies that have introduced hot desking report a drop in staff morale.”

In summary we believe that there aren’t as many benefits to hot desking as are often perceived: the costs saved are outweighed by the disadvantages that result from taking away the personal space from your team, including the inevitable downturn in morale and productivity. There are many other solutions to the need for flexible, economic use of desk space, that still enable teams to stay connected and let individuals feel ‘at home’ at their own desk, all of which makes for a happier, more productive office.