A workplace strategy where employees choose from a variety of work settings based on the task at hand, rather than sitting at one assigned desk all day.
Activity-based working (ABW) is built on the idea that different tasks need different environments. Focused writing needs a quiet zone. Brainstorming needs a collaborative area with whiteboards. Phone calls need a booth. ABW provides all of these settings and lets employees move between them throughout the day.
Unlike simple hot desking, ABW is a deliberate design philosophy. The office layout is planned around activity zones rather than departments. Booking software helps manage the shared resources -- employees reserve a focus pod for the morning and a collaboration table for the afternoon.
ABW requires a cultural shift. Employees need to let go of territorial desk ownership and embrace mobility. When done well, it improves both productivity and satisfaction because people work in the setting that best supports what they are doing at any given moment.
The practice of not assigning permanent desks to employees, allowing anyone to use any available desk on a first-come, first-served basis.
Office areas designed to be reconfigured for multiple purposes, such as meetings, collaboration, quiet work, or events, depending on current needs.
A workspace layout strategy that assigns teams or departments to designated zones within a flexible office, combining team proximity with hot desking.