hot desk
n. A desk that is not assigned to a particular employee, but rather is available for use and can be reserved in advance by a mobile worker whenever they are required to be in the office.
Other Forms
hot desk v.
Examples
1999
And this is a growing trend. Sue Rix, of BT's Workstyle Consultancy, which helps companies cater for mobile workers, says: "A lot of companies have hot desks and touch-down areas where you can plug in your laptop and download. The original idea came from the cyber cafes that were set up so people could surf the web."
—Stephen Hoare, “How to feel at home without the office,” The Times (London), November 23, 1999
1999
Kathy Tilney, co-founder of Tilney Shane, the architects and designers who executed the project, says replacement of traditional offices with gathering areas and "hot desks" at the Waterside building was designed to encourage a more team-based and flexible approach to working.
—Roger Trapp, “Focus: Zen and the Art of Workplace Design,” The Independent (London), September 01, 1999
1990 (earliest)
We've been playing hot desks… When someone needed a desk, they would just sit down wherever there was one that wasn't being used.
—Oregonian, April 16, 1990 (OED)
Filed Under
corporate culture
Posted: January 13, 2000