A Guide to Following a Hot Desk Policy

Hot desking - you might have heard of the term, but are you familiar with it? Perhaps you’ve heard of hot desk office space or hot desk rental - either way, it’s a brilliant option for those who may want to work in a coworking space on a flexible basis.

Spacepool offers options across the country, from hot desks in London to destinations all over the UK.

We want to help you to make the most of your space and to use it in the most efficient way possible - yet we also want to make you aware of the policies and what to look out for.

Hot Desking Rules & Etiquette

As with any communal space, hot desking definitely has a few rules and etiquette that it’s important to know about and respect. There’s certainly nothing worse than finding the ideal coworking space in your city or area, only to find that people simply aren’t following basic hot desking rules.

Most of these ‘rules’ are general common sense and the majority of people understand the need to act and behave in a certain way when hot desking.

Simple steps such as keeping your individual area clean and tidy, avoiding creating excessive noise levels and being respectful about others who are working around you will help to make having a hot desk office space a great experience for you and your coworkers.

Let’s make sure you’ve got everything covered by checking in with key features of most hot desk policies:

Eat Food In Designated Lunch Areas

The best way to keep a coworking space hygienic and pest free is to limit any food to designated lunch areas. Although you might be tempted to eat your salad or sandwich whilst blitzing through your work, this is not considered appropriate in a shared space.

Eating food at your desk, particularly food with strong scents or cooked food can be anti-social to those around you. For people trying to work, another person eating is simply not professional or fair.

In addition to this, you’ll need to remember that even the smallest crumbs and pieces of food can attract mice or rats. Restrict all food consumption to designated lunch areas which are thoroughly cleaned at the end of the day and you and your coworkers will be able to enjoy a clean and pest free environment.

Keep A Clean & Hygienic Space

As well as limiting your snacks and meals to designated areas, you can take other small steps to ensure that your hot desk remains a clean and hygienic space. Although you may be moving around different desk spaces each time you visit a coworking environment, you should always keep things clean and tidy.

You may want to carry hand sanitizer and antibacterial spray with you when working in a coworking space. Always aim to wipe down surfaces thoroughly before and after using your hot desk so that you keep hygiene levels high and reduce the risk of spreading any infections.

Hot desks in London can be a workplace for hundreds of different people each week - so take the time to keep things clean and hygienic.

Book Your Hot Desk In Advance

Hot desks in Manchester or any other major city in the UK are likely to be in demand, especially during the start and middle of each working week.

Booking your space in advance will not only offer you the peace of mind that you’ll have somewhere to work from when you arrive at your coworking space or private office, it also means that others can plan and schedule accordingly.

Get organised and try to book as soon as you know the dates and times you’ll need it. This may be when your schedule is released or when you have a project confirmed by a senior team member. If you have a regular slot (such as every Monday or on a Tuesday afternoon) make sure you book these in advance to avoid missing out.

Be Mindful Of Others When On Calls

Working in a coworking space requires consideration. When you’re hot desking you’ll need to be continually mindful of other people who you may or may not know well.

Try to keep your voice to an appropriate level when you’re speaking on the phone or recording voice notes or videos. It can be incredibly distracting for other workers to hear every detail of your discussion - and you’ll also want to be wary of protecting the privacy of your conversations.

If you find others within your space who are not considerate or who are continually speaking at a loud volume when making or receiving calls, feel free to politely address this with them as they may simply be oblivious to how they’re communicating.

Keep Personal Items Off The Desks

A hot desk rather than a desk that you return to every working day. For this reason, you should always keep personal items off the desks - this includes framed photos, water bottles, items of clothing or sports gear.

When you leave your desk for the day, you should take absolutely everything with you - make sure that this includes items such as laptop and phone chargers. By keeping personal items off the desks, you’ll enable the next user to immediately start using the desk just as they need to.

Understand Your Company’s Policy

Making yourself aware of your company’s policy is really important. You should be clear on what’s expected of you and what will and won’t be accepted by both your company and other hot desk users.

You can avoid difficult situations and unnecessary confusion by taking the time to understand your company’s policy in as much detail as possible.

Explore A Wide Variety Of Hot Desks With Spacepool

Spacepool is passionate about providing a wide variety of hot desks in cities across the UK. Whether you want to get to work at hot desks in Birmingham or any other part of the UK, there are a variety of different options to suit your specific needs.