---
title: "Desk sharing ratio"
url: https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing-ratio/
language: en
updated: 2026-09-22
type: glossary
section: resources
description: "The desk sharing ratio describes the relationship between available desks and employees, for example 0.7 for seven desks per ten people."
formats: https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing-ratio/index.md https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing-ratio/index.json https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing-ratio/index.jsonld
bookDemo: https://meet.doorjames.app/public-schedule/99469a6d66d20f7fdd5ee19182a8f8bd (30 min, Microsoft Teams)
---

# Desk sharing ratio

> The desk sharing ratio describes the relationship between available desks and the number of employees at a location. A ratio of 0.7 means seven desks for ten people. It is the central planning figure in space planning and should be based on measured attendance rather than estimates.

## How the ratio is calculated

The formula is simple: available desks divided by the number of employees at the site. The difficult part is setting the target, because it has to cover **peak load**, not the average. A site with 50 per cent average attendance but 80 per cent on Tuesdays needs a ratio close to 0.8 – otherwise shortages appear exactly on the days teams want to meet.

## Why measured data makes the difference

In projects the ratio is often derived from a survey: how often do you plan to be in the office? Answers typically exceed real attendance. Booking and check-in data from a running system provides reliable values instead – in particular the distinction between booked and actually used desks.

A pragmatic approach: start with a conservative ratio, measure for six to twelve months, then adjust per location. The same data later justifies decisions on space, cleaning intervals and office days.

## Related pages

- [Workplace analytics](https://doorjames.com/features/workplace-analytics/)
- [Desk sharing](https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing/)

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