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Beware the chilling effects of hot desking

Quartz: “…The “hot desk” was inspired by a 16th-century naval practice called “hot bedding” or “hot racking.” In ships and submarines, soldiers took shifts sleeping in one bed to save space, with the name alluding to the previous occupant’s body heat. Experts like Philip Ross, CEO of the management consulting firm UnWork, say that “hot desking” is the solution for the post-Covid office. He predicts that companies will need 60% less office space due to the popularity of hybrid work arrangements. Even before Covid-19, many companies have adopted a hot desk system, also known as “office hoteling. More than a cost-savings measure, some believe that giving staff control over where they sit increases collaboration in the office. The setup is also popular among large companies with employees who need to work at different satellite offices… CEO Knud Erik Hansen on what he thought about the post-pandemic rage for hot desks. He shared my lament. “It is sad,” he says. “It’s a sign of belonging to a company. It’s part of our culture that you have a chair, a table, and an area where you can develop your work. When that disappears, I wonder if your loyalty to the company might disappear too.”…

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