The article has a sidebar explaining "hot-desking": "Hot-desking - the idea that employees don't retain a fixed desk in an office - is a key part of organisati

The article has a sidebar explaining "hot-desking": "Hot-desking - the idea that employees don't retain a fixed desk in an office - is a key part of organisations' move towards cheaper, more flexible workplaces. The more employees work from home, the more organisations can shrink their offices to accommodate only the number of people who are in every day." In addition to the telecommuting angle, I've seen open plan offices like this that also have a limited number of closed rooms where employees can go for a while if they want some privacy, or if they need to work with a colleague for a while. That seems like a good compromise.