Shared seating or "reverse hoteling" is a desk configuration for assigned seats (only) that allow employees to open their assigned desk up for others to use while they're out of the office. Users can manage their own desk availability, and/or admins can manage it on a user's behalf.
Things to note before getting started:
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Desk sharing is only available for assigned seats.
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Shared desks are flex desks that can be reserved for a day (even hourly) or multiple days, and they can be reserved in advance or for that day.
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When a desk is shared, it immediately becomes available for bookings.
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An assigned desk can be shared up to 3 months in advance.
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Sharing a desk can only be done from the web dashboard, but you can book a desk that has been shared from the dashboard, mobile app, or interactive kiosk.
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At any time, you can change the desk back to an assigned desk the same way you shared the desk.
Enabling desk sharing
Admins can manage which desk spaces in the office can be shared by enabling the feature for an entire building or per desk groups.
Turn on desk sharing for the entire office
1. Navigate to Manage > Offices.
2. Select a building > scroll down to the "Desk reservation policies" section.
3. Toggle the Desk sharing setting.
4. Click the blue Apply to all button at the top.
Turn on desk sharing for a group of desks
1. Start on the Office search page > Edit floor drop-down in the right corner of the map.
2. Click Layout.
3. Then drag your cursor over a group of desks to highlight/select them, and a menu panel on the right will open.
4. Click the Policies tab > blue + button to add policies > select Desk sharing policy to apply it to the selected desks.
⭐ The more granular setting takes precedence over higher-level settings.
Sharing a desk
You can share your assigned desk from your profile page, or user roles with desk delegation permission can share a desk on a user's behalf from the office map.
Sharing your own desk
1. To make your desk available for others to use while you're out of the office, follow the View upcoming desks link on the Office search page. This takes you to your profile page, where you can manage all your desk reservations and assignments.
2. Find your assigned seat > select Share desk. This opens your desk calendar.
3. Using the calendar modal, click the day(s) you plan to be out of the office and would like to make your desk available for others to use.
Blue = Reserved for you as the assignee, not shared.
White = shared, the desk is open & available.
Grey (/) = In use, booked by someone else.
4. If your plans change and you need your desk after all, simply reopen your desk sharing calendar and click on the dates you need your desk. Remember, white = shared, the desk is open & available for others to book.
Sharing a desk on a users behalf
Admins (or user roles with desk delegation permission) can temporarily free up someone’s seat while they’re out of the office for others to use. When an admin shares someone's assigned desk, the user will receive an email notification letting them know the day(s) their desk was made available for others to use.
1. From the office search page on the web dashboard > select the user's assigned desk on the map or click View desks bubble to search for the desk by the assignee's name or desk name. Remember, desk sharing is only available for assigned seats/desks.
2. From the modal, select the 3 action dots > Share desk.
3. Using the calendar modal, click the day(s) the assigned desk can be shared for others to use. This flips the desk into a flex desk.
Blue = Reserved for the assignee, not shared.
White = shared, the desk is open & available.
Grey (/) = In use, booked by someone else.
4. Select save. Or click discard changes to redo the desk availability.
5. Flipping a desk back to an assigned seat is just as easy as sharing it:
- Find the desk on the map (or navigate to the assignees profile page via the Peoples tab) to open the desk sharing calendar.
- Click the date(s) to change the state from shared to assigned. Remember, blue dates are reserved for the assignee, not available for others to use. (Captured below)
What to expect when your seat is shared:
A. We'll let folks know when they're booking a desk that is usually someone else's desk so folks are less confused by all the framed cat pictures and are mindful of the space.
The image above is from the Robin dashboard
B. To confirm if you or your office admin shared your assigned seat, check for a Shared label next to your desk details on the Office search home card.
C. When your seat has been shared, you’ll receive an email letting you know the day(s) your desk might be available for others to use.
Booking a shared desk
A shared desk is an assigned seat temporarily flipped into a flexible desk. Just like flexible desks, shared desks are reservable for a day or for multiple days, depending on your office's desk policies & availability, and can be reserved for the same day or in advance.
Employees
As an employee, you can reserve a shared desk just like you reserve any other desk using the Robin dashboard, mobile app, or office kiosks. Check out the guides linked below to learn more on how to reserve a desk:
- Reserving a desk using the dashboard
- Reserving a desk using the mobile app
- Reserving a desk using the interactive kiosk
Admins
Admins can reserve a shared desk on a user's behalf from the Robin dashboard only. And remember, admins can reserve a shared desk for themselves, just like any user, from the dashboard, mobile app, or kiosk.