How to use this template
- Start from the problem. Write down what is going wrong today: no-shows, people holding popular desks, nowhere to sit on busy days. Each rule should answer one problem.
- Fill in the placeholders. Replace every [PLACEHOLDER] with your own window, durations and grace period. Leave out any rule you do not need.
- Configure before you publish. Set each rule in your booking system first, so the policy describes what the system already does.
- Publish on one short page. Share the rules and the etiquette together, and say what booking data is used for.
- Watch the data, then adjust. Track no-shows, refused bookings and complaints about popular spaces, and change one rule at a time.
The template
Copy the sections you need and replace the [PLACEHOLDERS]. Under each section, "In Kadence" names the setting that enforces it.
1. Purpose and scope
One paragraph on why desks are shared and who the policy covers.
At [COMPANY NAME], most desks are shared. This policy explains how to book desks and other spaces in [BUILDINGS], so everyone can find a place to work on the days they come in.
It applies to all employees, contractors and visitors from other offices who use shared space.
2. Who can book what
Say which spaces are bookable, which are assigned, and which teams have their own areas.
You can book desks, meeting rooms, [PARKING / LOCKERS / PODS] in [BOOKING TOOL].
Some desks are assigned to individuals and cannot be booked. [TEAM NAME] has priority access to its neighborhood on [DAYS] before it opens to everyone.
In Kadence Admins assign people to permanent desks and teams to neighborhoods, and the Neighborhood Scheduler changes a team's neighborhood by date. Priority booking access gives selected groups first access to spaces before general release. Lockers, pods, parking and private offices can be bookable too.
Assigned desk · Neighborhood · Bookable and non-bookable space
3. How far ahead you can book
The booking window. Long enough to plan the week, short enough that nobody claims popular desks months ahead.
You can book a desk up to [BOOKING WINDOW] ahead. [POPULAR SPACE TYPE] can be booked up to [SHORTER WINDOW] ahead.
Recurring bookings can run until [END DATE LIMIT].
In Kadence Booking rules set how far ahead people can book. Recurring booking end-date controls cap how far a series can run.
4. How long you can book
Maximum and default durations stop one booking from blocking a space all day.
Desks are booked for [DEFAULT DURATION] by default, up to [MAXIMUM DURATION].
Meeting rooms can be booked for up to [MAXIMUM ROOM DURATION]. Focus pods can be booked for up to [POD LIMIT].
You can book a desk across several days in one booking when you visit for a few days in a row.
In Kadence Booking rules set maximum and default booking durations. Multi-day bookings let people book a desk or space across several days in one go.
5. Fair use
Limits on how much one person or team can hold at once.
You can hold up to [NUMBER] desk bookings at a time. Teams can book up to [NUMBER] desks for team days.
Do not book desks for colleagues who may not come in.
In Kadence Booking credits limit how much space each person or team can book.
6. Check-in and auto-release
The rule that does most to cut ghost bookings. Set a grace period and say what happens after it.
Check in when you arrive, using [CHECK-IN METHOD]. If you do not check in within [GRACE PERIOD] of your booking's start time, the booking is released and the desk becomes free for others.
Room bookings that are not checked in are released in the same way.
In Kadence Kadence auto-releases desk, room and other space bookings that are not checked in, with check-in windows set by admins. The Kadence Agent checks people in automatically when it detects them on the office network, so people who are present are not released.
7. Booking for someone else
Assistants and coordinators often book for others. Say who may.
[ROLE, e.g. executive assistants and office coordinators] can book on behalf of colleagues. Everyone else books only for themselves.
In Kadence The Booking Scheduler role lets assistants or coordinators book on behalf of others, and booking exports show who created each booking.
8. Landing pads and walk-ins
People visiting from other offices, and people who arrive without a booking, need a place too.
Colleagues visiting from other offices can use the landing pad desks on [FLOOR], marked [SIGNAGE]. Book them like any other desk.
If you arrive without a booking, book a free desk as soon as you sit down, so the space shows as taken.
In Kadence Automatic Bookings records people who turn up without a booking, and floor plan search helps visiting colleagues find a person, desk or room.
9. Closures
Holidays, works and events take space out of use. Say how people will hear about it.
When a building, floor or area is closed for holidays, works or events, it cannot be booked. We announce closures [NOTICE PERIOD] ahead in [CHANNEL].
In Kadence Closure Management lets admins close buildings for holidays or events on every plan, and WorkOps Pro adds closures for floors, neighborhoods and individual spaces. Workplace announcements reach people through Slack, Microsoft Teams, email and the mobile app.
10. Hot desking etiquette
The part software cannot enforce. Keep it to a few rules people will remember.
Cancel your booking as soon as your plans change.
Clear the desk at the end of the day: take your things, wipe down the surface and leave the screen and cables as you found them.
Keep quiet in quiet zones, and take calls in phone booths or meeting rooms.
Use lockers for anything you leave overnight. Do not reserve a desk with your belongings.
11. Booking data and privacy
Say what booking data is used for. Silence feeds suspicion that it tracks attendance.
We use booking and check-in data to plan space, size neighborhoods and improve the office. [WHO] can see reports, which show [TEAMS / BUILDINGS].
You can hide your location from colleagues if you prefer. We keep booking data for [RETENTION PERIOD].
In Kadence Incognito mode lets employees hide their location from colleagues. PII data retention controls set how long personal data is kept.
12. Review
Rules that worked at one occupancy level may not work at the next.
We review these rules every [PERIOD] using no-show rates, refused bookings and your feedback. Questions go to [CONTACT].
In Kadence Workplace Insights shows attendance, occupancy, no-shows and heatmaps, with CSV export.
How Kadence helps
Kadence enforces booking policy in the product: maximum and default booking durations, a fixed window for how far ahead people can book, booking credits that cap how much space a person or team can book, priority booking access for chosen teams, recurring booking end-date controls, and check-in with auto-release of unused bookings. People book from the web, mobile apps, Microsoft Teams, Slack and Outlook.
Desk booking software · Room booking software · Office hoteling software
Frequently asked questions
What should a hot desking policy include?
A hot desking policy should say which spaces can be booked and by whom, how far ahead and for how long, how many bookings one person can hold, when people must check in, what happens to bookings that are not used, how closures are announced, the desk etiquette everyone follows, and what the booking data is used for.
What is good hot desking etiquette?
Book only what you will use and cancel as soon as plans change. Clear the desk at the end of the day and wipe it down. Keep quiet in quiet zones and take calls in booths or rooms. Never hold a desk with your belongings; use a locker instead.
How far in advance should employees be able to book a desk?
Long enough for people to plan their office days, and short enough that a few people cannot claim the most popular desks far ahead. Set a shorter window for scarce spaces. Then watch no-shows and refused bookings, and adjust one rule at a time.
Should unused desk bookings be released automatically?
Yes, in most offices. A check-in rule with a short grace period frees desks that were booked but not used, so they show as available to others and your occupancy data stays accurate. Automatic check-in on the office network keeps people who are present from losing their desk.
Can a desk booking policy be enforced automatically?
Most of it can. Booking windows, maximum durations, booking limits, priority access, recurring booking limits, check-in and auto-release are settings in a desk booking system. Etiquette, such as clearing the desk and keeping quiet zones quiet, still depends on the policy and on managers.
Related terms
- Booking policy The rules for booking shared desks, rooms and other spaces: who can book, how far ahead, for how long and when bookings are released.
- Fixed vs rolling booking window A rolling window opens one new day each day, always the same distance ahead; a fixed window opens a whole period at once on a set day.
- Auto-release A booking rule that frees a desk or room automatically when nobody checks in within a set grace period.
- Landing pad A small set of drop-in desks for short stays, visiting colleagues or people between meetings, with no booking required.
- Closure management Blocking desks, rooms or floors for maintenance, events or emergencies, and automatically notifying or moving affected bookings.
- Hot desking and hoteling Two ways to share desks: hot desking is first come, first served; hoteling means reserving a desk in advance and checking in.
- Desk check-in Confirming that you are at the desk or room you booked, by app, QR code, badge or Wi-Fi presence, so unused bookings can be released.
- Ghost booking A desk or room that is booked but never used, so it shows as taken while it sits empty.
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Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed