Many of the terms used in the alternative officing field are used loosely and/or lack consensus on their specific meaning. This is true of hoteling and desk sharing. Both refer to work arrangements in which employees utilize non-traditional workstation arrangements when working at their employers main worksite. In most cases, hoteling refers to work arrangements in which the employee reserves the use of a vacant workstation on an as-needed basis or simply utilizes a vacant workstation on a space available basis. Desk sharing usually refers to a work arrangement in which two or more employees share the same workstation in a typically pre-arranged manner that allows each of the employees to have sole access to the specified workstation on given days while the others involved in the sharing arrangement work elsewhere. The challenge for hoteling is that employees must adjust to not having the same workstation each time they work at the main office and the need to reserve or look around for a vacant workstation. The challenge for desk sharing is the need to come to an agreement on a mutually satisfying schedule for use of the workstation as well as the need to live with the desk habits of others.

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (Property Act), as amended (40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.), to enhance Governmentwide property management and bring the policies and business practices by which Federal agencies manage their assets into the 21st century. As of this writing, this bill has not been passed into law. The bill is relevant to alternative officing because it contains provisions that allow agencies to retain revenues stemming from facility cost savings achieved via initiatives such alternative officing. Under existing law, such facility cost savings are returned to a central Federal fund and not to the agencys budget. Thus, the new bill provides clear incentives for improved facility management and the use of facility arrangements such as alternative officing.