Hot desking rate / Flex office rate

Definition of occupancy rate

The occupancy rate, also called flex office rate or flex desk rate, is the ratio between the number of available workstations and the number of employees in the company.

This rate can vary depending on several factors, including the implementation of flexible work practices, the use of remote work, the layout of workspaces and office management.

An essential metric in flex office

Flex office, the new way of working?

Flex office has become a major trend in the world of work. The employee no longer has an assigned workstation, which offers more flexibility to choose where and how they work within the company. This can include the possibility of working remotely, booking workspaces in a coworking space, or meeting rooms as needed. They can also collaborate with colleagues in various environments. Employees are then equipped with a desk booking tool to ensure good management of spaces in a flex office.

Measuring flexibility

The occupancy rate is a key indicator that measures the effectiveness of the implementation of the flex office within the company. It is calculated based on the number of available workstations compared to the number of employees. It takes into account the frequency of use of these workstations and the flexibility in the choice of workplaces.

For example: a company in Paris has 600 employees and plans to switch to flex office. In view of its hybrid work policy and the use of the different spaces, it decides to switch to a flex office rate of 0.5, which equates to one workstation for two employees.

Tips for calculating your occupancy rate

There is no single occupancy rate for all companies. Each one must determine its own based on different factors:

  • The current occupancy of the spaces: identify the attendance habits of your teams and employees
  • The maximum capacity of the offices: define the number of people who can be present without impacting their safety and productivity
  • The company culture and remote work policy: the offices must be able to accommodate all employees properly according to their days of attendance

It is therefore important to evaluate these elements carefully to find a metric adapted to your specific situation. A poorly calculated occupancy rate could have adverse consequences.

A low occupancy rate, close to 1, would leave many spaces unused, which would go against the desired space optimisation in the context of the flex desk.

On the contrary, if the flex rate is too high, i.e. below 0.5, there would be a risk of overloading the offices, depending on the practices of your employees. Employees may wish to come to the office, but the lack of available places would prevent them from doing so. The happy medium is to be found, shall we discuss it?

The advantages of calculating a space utilization rate

A well-calculated flex office rate can have significant advantages for companies, including optimisation of real estate costs, better management of workspaces, an increase in employee satisfaction and more flexible management in the organisation of work.

For employees, this means that they can better reconcile their professional and personal lives, manage their working time with more autonomy and choose a working environment that suits their needs. The implementation of a desk booking tool also helps to improve their mental well-being because they no longer have to worry about not having a desk available when they arrive at work.

Management and adaptation

Managing the occupancy rate or flex desk ratio requires constant adaptation based on the changing needs of the company and its employees. This may involve implementing desk booking tools, meeting room management, data collection on space usage, and effective communication regarding flexible work practices.

In summary

The occupancy rate or flex office rate is an essential indicator for measuring the flexibility and efficiency of workspaces within a company. The occupancy rate is unique to each company and reflects the transition to more flexible work practices and the adaptation of workspaces to meet the new needs of employees.

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