Flex desk & teleworking : how do you combine these two models?

The world of work is changing fast, and with it the way we think about the workplace. Teleworking has now become a must for many companies, offering employees flexibility and autonomy.

But what about office organisation?

Little by little, the traditional model of fixed offices is giving way to a new approach : the Flex desk. This more flexible and dynamic model means that employees are no longer allocated a specific workstation. Once on site, they simply choose their anchor point for the day and begin their tasks.

Because it has an impact on the organisation of work itself, the Flex desk cannot be improvised. It has to be learned, practised and implemented step by step. So how do you reconcile this new organisation with the boom in teleworking, without damaging productivity or team cohesion? Focus in this article!

The evolution of the office property market in 2025 (and the challenges ahead)!

1. The economic context for office property in UK.

Since the beginning of 2024, the office property market in UK has been undergoing a period of profound change. While residential and commercial property continue to enjoy stable demand, the office segment is struggling to regain its pre-Covid crisis dynamism.

Several key trends are emerging :

• • • Stagnating rents : Office rents, particularly in peripheral areas, are showing little growth, and in some cases are even falling, in the face of rising vacancies.

• • • Reduced investment : Investors are becoming more cautious about offices, preferring to diversify their portfolios towards segments deemed less risky, such as residential.

• • • Regionalisation of opportunities : While major cities such as London, Liverpool and Manchester continue to attract businesses, smaller towns and cities are struggling to maintain a steady demand for their offices.

2. The factors behind this weakness.

There are several reasons for the current difficulties in the office market :

• • • Oversupply : Property projects initiated before the pandemic are now coming onto the market. However, demand has not kept pace, mainly due to the rise in teleworking and the move towards more flexible workspaces. This is creating an imbalance between supply and demand, with the direct consequence of a significant increase in vacant space.

• • • Transition to more flexible spaces : Companies are now looking for offices that offer modular solutions, often incompatible with traditional spaces.

• • • Uncertain economic climate : Inflation, rising energy costs & global economic uncertainties are forcing companies to rethink their spending, in particular by limiting investment in expensive workspaces.

• • • Reducing the physical workforce : With the rise of teleworking, many companies have opted for policies to reduce their office space, accentuating the vacancy of non-essential areas. In addition, hybrid spaces are being created, combining modular workstations, connected meeting rooms and social areas.

The « Flex desk » model : a response to your employees’ demand for flexibility?

1. Definition and operation of the Flex desk.

The Flex desk, refers to a spatial organisation where employees do not have a dedicated workstation, but choose their location according to their needs at the time.

This model is perfectly suited to companies that have adopted hybrid working, where the physical presence of employees varies from day to day.

It generally relies on digital tools, such as reservation applications, which allow employees to plan their place according to their schedules and the tasks to be carried out.

At the same time, the spaces are laid out in such a way as to offer different types of environment: quiet areas for concentrating, collaborative spaces for exchanging ideas, and rooms equipped for meetings.

The aim of this simple, intuitive organisation is to optimise the use of the premises while meeting employees’ expectations in terms of flexibility.

2. The benefits of the Flex desk for your employees.

The Flex Desk model offers a number of advantages, both for your company and for your employees.

One of the main advantages is the optimisation of space, by aligning the presence of employees with the surface area used.

To achieve this effectively, it is essential to calculate a space utilisation rate. This rate represents the ratio between the number of workstations available and the number of staff in the office.

The advantage of determining an overcrowding rate lies in its ability to adjust office use in line with changing working patterns, particularly with the rise of teleworking.

By controlling this rate over time, you can reduce the surface area dedicated to fixed offices as teleworking develops, but also avoid taking up unnecessary new surface area when staff numbers increase. This allows you to maintain a flexible working environment, while keeping your property costs under control.

NB: It is essential to calibrate this rate correctly. If the rate is too low, your employees could become (re)sedentary by taking over a fixed office, thereby contradicting the spirit of the Flex desk. On the other hand, too high a rate could lead to overcrowding, creating frustration and demotivation, and possibly prompting your employees to turn to external solutions such as coworking.

This model also offers your employees great flexibility. Depending on their tasks for the day, they can choose to work in a quiet area to concentrate, or in a collaborative zone to organise informal meetings. This freedom to choose their working environment enhances their productivity and well-being on a daily basis.

Finally, the Flex Desk encourages communication and exchanges between different departments. By changing jobs regularly, your employees have more opportunities to cross-fertilise and collaborate, strengthening team cohesion and stimulating innovation within your company!

Teleworking : a trend that’s here to stay?

1. Teleworking figures for 2024, UK.

By 2024, teleworking had become commonplace in many companies.

Such as the UK’s Office for National Statistics and Statista, 41% of employees work remotely on a regular basis, with a growing trend in certain sectors such as technology, financial services & communications.

The hybrid model continues to predominate, with almost 28% of employees alternating between working from home and being in the office.

What’s more, the distribution of teleworking days varies considerably between companies, with some opting for a balance of 2 to 3 remote days a week.

This trend has been reinforced by legislation & company policy adjustments to support this new organisation of work.

2. The challenges of teleworking for companies.

Telework poses a number of structural and organisational challenges. Firstly, coordinating dispersed teams complicates communication and can undermine cohesion, particularly during collaborative projects.

Secondly, performance management can become complex, requiring appropriate tools to monitor objectives & measure effectiveness, without micromanagement.

In addition, the technological challenges are crucial : companies need to put in place a reliable infrastructure, with secure connections and high-performance collaborative tools. At the same time, they need to ensure greater protection for sensitive data through cyber-security measures.

Finally, adapting workspaces is essential. Companies need to reconfigure their offices in favour of collaborative & shared spaces, optimising their use during the days when they are present. This reduces the amount of unused space (due to teleworking), while creating an environment conducive to exchange and collaboration.

So, how can you combine Flex desk and teleworking within your company?

1. The complementary nature of the two models.

By reducing the daily presence in the office, teleworking reduces the number of employees on site. In this context, allocating a fixed workstation to each employee no longer makes sense.

That’s why the flex desk is gaining ground. It responds to this new organisation by adapting the occupation of offices to the real needs of on-site presence.

This not only frees up unused space & reduces property costs, but also creates a more dynamic environment, where employees can choose their workspace according to the tasks at hand, encouraging collaboration & exchange.

This approach offers both better use of resources & greater flexibility for teams, while meeting the growing demand for flexibility & well-being at work.

2. The benefits of using a booking application to organise the Flex desk.

Although the idea of using a Desk Booking application may seem superfluous in a context where offices are partially occupied, it is in fact a strategic lever.

On the one hand, you offer your employees the possibility of reserving a workspace remotely and at any time before they arrive on site. This gives them a precise overview of the spaces available at the time and date they require, eliminating scheduling conflicts and improving their day-to-day experience.

This freedom, combined with greater autonomy, is the perfect response to today’s expectations in terms of flexibility.

In addition, by setting up dedicated areas for certain teams (booking zones), you preserve their bearings while facilitating a gradual transition to the Flex desk. In this way, you combine flexibility and stability.

What’s more, by having reliable data on how your premises are used, you can understand your staff’s behaviour and make the best management decisions.

Finally, thanks to a desk-booking application, you can prevent your staff from taking over offices and occupying common areas and meeting rooms for no apparent or valid reason, at a time when flexible working is the order of the day.

Best practices for successful integration of the Flex desk.

There’s no doubt about it: the adoption of the Flex desk represents a real break with the traditional organisational patterns of companies. So don’t panic when tackling this subject within your company. Resistance to change will naturally emerge, before it is gradually accepted.

Below is our advice and best practice on how to deal with this in an educational way, and make a (smooth) transition to the Flex desk.

1. Involve your staff in organising the Flex desk.

Involve your teams right from the start of the project. The more your staff understand the project and have the opportunity to express their views, the more they will feel involved and able to adopt it with confidence.

Start by asking some simple but essential questions: what do they like about their current working environment? What do they miss? What are their needs in terms of location, comfort and working methods (collaborative, individual, hybrid)? These discussions, conducted through workshops and surveys, will help you to build an environment that really reflects their needs.

By doing this, you are also sending out a strong message: their opinion counts. This feeling of recognition and involvement strengthens their commitment, and can ease their transition to this new way of working.

Don’t forget to maintain this dialogue throughout the project. Keep your teams informed of progress, share the decisions taken thanks to their feedback & remain open to adjustments along the way. By doing this, you create a climate of trust and allow the Flex desk to become a natural part of their daily lives.

2. Involve your managers in thinking about teleworking and the use of offices.

Managers play a key role in the implementation of the Flex desk & teleworking, as they are in direct contact with the teams and understand the dynamics.

Take the time to ask them about their experience of teleworking: what do they see as the main benefits for their staff and for the organisation as a whole? What obstacles do they encounter, whether in terms of communication, organisation or maintaining team cohesion? These discussions will help you to better understand the realities on the ground and the specific needs associated with this way of working.

You can also take advantage of these discussions to get their vision of the office. What do they think should be the main functions of these spaces? Are they primarily places for collaboration, concentration or socialising? By comparing their opinions, you will be able to identify general trends, as well as the specific characteristics of certain teams.

This feedback is essential if you are to build a balanced design project that reflects both the expectations of employees and the operational needs of managers.

3. Define the framework for your project.

To guarantee the success of your Flex desk project, start by appointing not only one person, but also a reference team responsible for coordinating the actions and monitoring them.

Then define precise objectives: improving collaboration, optimising space, reducing costs, and supporting the teleworking policy.

At the same time, analyse your current premises to determine whether they can be adapted or whether it would be preferable to consider moving. Draw up layout plans to help you visualise the new spaces & allocate areas according to needs: collaboration, concentration, fixed workstations for certain roles, etc. We recommend the HomeByMe tool for easy 3D planning.

Finally, an essential step is to choose a reservation management solution, such as Sharvy, which facilitates desk booking. With this application, your employees can book a desk remotely (in just a few clicks), ensuring smooth organisation and optimised space utilisation.

This flexibility is perfectly suited to the needs of teleworking, guaranteeing that everyone has a functional space when they’re in the office, while limiting wastage of space!

In conclusion

The flex desk and teleworking are not just trends, but a real transformation in the way we approach work.

By combining them, you can offer your teams the flexibility they need, while optimising your office space. What’s more, by integrating tools such as desk booking, you can offer your staff a fluid, practical solution that’s adapted to the constantly changing world of work. This approach enables you to meet their expectations, while boosting the efficiency of your organisation. So what are you waiting for?

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