---
title: "Desk sharing"
url: https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing/
language: en
updated: 2026-09-22
type: glossary
section: resources
description: "Desk sharing is an office concept in which desks are not permanently assigned but used by several people in turn and booked when needed."
translations: de=https://doorjames.com/de/glossar/desk-sharing/
formats: https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing/index.md https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing/index.json https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing/index.jsonld
bookDemo: https://meet.doorjames.app/public-schedule/99469a6d66d20f7fdd5ee19182a8f8bd (30 min, Microsoft Teams)
---

# Desk sharing

> Desk sharing is an office concept in which desks are not permanently assigned to individuals but used in turn by several employees. Anyone coming to the office books a free desk – usually through software with an interactive floor plan. The number of desks is therefore lower than the number of employees.

## Why organizations switch to desk sharing

The trigger is almost always economic: if employees are in the office two or three days a week on average, a permanently assigned desk stands empty half the time. At city-centre office rents that is a substantial sum. Desk sharing turns that observation into a concept: fewer desks than people, bookable flexibly.

The second, less frequently named reason is teamwork. Fixed desks cement the seating plan of the past; bookable desks allow people to regroup around projects.

## What decides success in practice

Desk sharing rarely fails on software. It fails on three points: an unrealistic ratio, missing rules for peak days, and storage. A workable introduction clarifies in advance how many desks are planned per person, what happens on a busy Tuesday, and where personal belongings live – often in bookable lockers.

## Related terms

Hot desking is often used synonymously but strictly means “first come, first served” without booking. Activity based working goes further: there the desk is not just shared but chosen by activity – focus room, project area, collaboration zone.

## Related pages

- [Desk booking](https://doorjames.com/features/desk-booking/)
- [Desk sharing ratio](https://doorjames.com/glossary/desk-sharing-ratio/)

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