Overview

Hoteling is an alternative work arrangement in which employees work in one primary facility part of the time and at one or more alternative worksites the rest of the time. When working at the primary facility, employees use non-dedicated, non-permanent workspaces assigned for use by reservation on an as-needed basis.

For example, an office could have a dedicated hoteling room with 6 desks, each outfitted with a corresponding laptop docking station, All would have access to a shared copy machine, printer, and phone line. A shared calendar is associated with each desk so that employees can reserve a desk when they need to use a space in this hoteling room. Adjacent to this hoteling room is a conference room which can also be reserved.

Benefits of hoteling

• Minimizes space and real estate costs. The lower the square footage, the lower the cost to build or lease the space
• Allows for more flexible staffing and scheduling options
• Allows employees to be more mobile, moving among various work locations for meetings, different servicing areas, etc.
• Enhances quality of work life for employees

Employee considerations

• Ensure the information technology capabilities are the same whether on-site or off-site
• Have a calendar in place to manage space usage and reservations
• Consider a dedicated hoteling space for individuals to remove the uncertainty of finding a workspace as an employee moves among locations
• Install docking stations at the hoteling space for employee-issued laptops
• Phone capability to include an employee-issued mobile phone, landline access in space/desk, or unified communications and collaboration system
• Ensure communication hardware and software are in place for instant messaging and video chat
• Proximity of hoteling space to amenities, e.g., copy machine/printer, conference rooms, offices for travel, etc.
• Standardized furniture/equipment for flexibility in space modifications.
• Parking situation/availability at work location
• A toll-free conference number may save calling costs in the long term for hoteling participants

Implementing a hoteling program

• Communicate openly with employees to ensure buy-in and employee concerns, e.g., workgroup, community outreach, surveys
• Pilot with smaller group before launching organization-wide program
• Establish and enforce hoteling space etiquette/usage guidelines
• Consider storage space and office supply needs for participants as they move among locations
• Reinforce performance metrics and communications expectations between supervisors and employees
• Incorporate closed office space (or conference rooms) as needed for phone calls/meetings that may be of sensitive/confidential nature
• Create training for hoteling participants
• Continue to evaluate (surveys, feedback sessions, record keeping) hoteling program to assess benefits, challenges, improvement areas

Contact us

Hoteling programs are managed at the IC-level. Contact officials in your IC for more information. Email workflex@mail.nih.gov for any general hoteling questions.