How to Calculate the Right Desk-Sharing Ratio for Your Office

What Is a Desk-Sharing Ratio?

The desk-sharing ratio (sometimes called desk-to-employee ratio) describes how many workstations are available compared to the total number of employees.

There are two common ways to express it:

• As a percentage:
  A desk-sharing ratio of 80 % means that for every 100 employees, 80 desks are available.

• As a numerical ratio:
  A ratio of 1.2 means there are 120 employees for 100 desks.

Both describe the same relationship — the first focuses on available desks, the second on total staff.

Understanding your company’s desk-sharing ratio is a crucial first step in any hybrid workplace or office space planning project.

Why Desk Sharing Matters for Hybrid Workplaces

Companies adopt desk sharing to create more flexible, efficient and sustainable workplaces.
In most cases, there are two main objectives:

1. Flexibility and adaptability
   Desk sharing allows organisations to adjust team sizes, project groups and floor layouts easily — without constant reconfiguration.

2. Space and cost efficiency
   By matching the number of desks to real usage, companies can reduce unused space and optimise their real-estate footprint.

When implemented thoughtfully, desk sharing supports employee autonomy while significantly lowering property and energy costs.

How to Calculate Your Desk-Sharing Ratio

There are two main approaches to calculating the correct desk-to-employee ratio:
a best-practice estimate and a data-driven analysis.

1. Use Best-Practice Figures (Quick Estimate)

If you’re at the start of your desk-sharing journey and don’t yet have utilisation data, use these industry benchmarks as a guide:

2. Use Real Data (Best-Case Approach)

For a more precise calculation, analyse how people actually use your office.
This can be done through:

• Access-card or badge data: measures daily presence.

• Desk-booking software: tracks desk occupancy in real time.

• Manual utilisation studies: hourly counts of occupied desks over one or two weeks.

• Employee surveys: reveal home-office patterns and preferences.

The more data you collect, the more accurately you can set your desk-sharing ratio.
For instance, if analysis shows a weekly peak occupancy desk occupancy of 65 %, you could safely plan with a desk-sharing ratio of 75-80 %, targeting a peak occupancy of 85-90% leaving headroom for peak days. (10-15% space capacity)

What Makes a Good Desk-Sharing Ratio

A successful desk-sharing model always includes a buffer for flexibility — typically 10 – 15 % spare capacity, targeting an average peak occupancy of 85-90%
This ensures that employees can still find a desk easily, even on busy days.

If average peak desk occupancy regularly exceeds 85 %, the workplace can feel overcrowded and stressful. The goal is to make the system effortless and intuitive, not restrictive.

How to Optimise Desk-Sharing Over Time

Desk sharing isn’t a “set-and-forget” model. Once established, you should monitor, review and adjust your ratio regularly:

• Track utilisation continuously via booking or sensor systems.

• Collect feedback through quarterly staff satisfaction surveys.

• Align policies with leadership, HR and facility teams.

• Adapt ratio targets as remote-work habits evolve.

Over time, you can typically reduce the ratio further — for example, from 80 % to 70 % — once reliable data supports the change.

Common Success Factors for Desk Sharing

While the ratio is important, success also depends on other workplace factors:

• Supportive leadership and clear communication.

• Well-designed spaces that suit different work modes.

• Reliable IT tools and desk-booking systems.

• Transparent policies and fair desk-allocation rules.

Together, these create a positive employee experience and maintain trust in the desk-sharing model.

Key Takeaways

• Start with a desk-sharing ratio of around 80 % if no data is available.

• Use real-world utilisation data to refine and potentially lower it.

• Maintain 10-15 % spare capacity (target average peak capacity of 85-90%) to observed peak occupancy to ensure comfort and usability.

• Combine your ratio planning with smart change management and thoughtful workplace design.

The ultimate goal is not just to save space — it’s to design a workplace that works effortlessly and ergonomically for everyone.

Next Step: Tools to Support Desk Sharing

Explore Gustav’s desk-sharing tools — mobile desk caddies, laptop stands and accessories that make flexible work seamless, organised and ergonomic.